Pot roast is a term used when meat is slow-cooked with vegetables in a covered pot. One of the original methods of cooking meat, it did not gain popularity in North America until French immigrants brought this cooking method with them. Served with Yorkshire pudding (a baked pudding) and mashed potatoes, it is a hearty meal that is full of flavor.
Ingredients
3 to 5 lb. chuck roast
8 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup flour
2 onions, sliced
2 cups mushrooms, halved
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 garlic head, minced
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dry tarragon
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups broth
1 cup Shiraz wine (or similar)
2 tablespoons butter, softened
Ingredients – Yorkshire Pudding
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil (from meat)
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Heat the oil in an oven-safe pot that will fit the pot roast size. Season the flour with 1 tablespoon Kosher salt and 1 teaspoon ground pepper. Coat the outside of the roast with seasoned flour. Set aside any of the remaining flour. Heat the oil (medium-high) in an oven-safe pot that is big enough to fit the roast and vegetables. Once the oil is heated, brown the roast on all sides (about 5 minutes on each side). Once browned, remove and set aside.
Drain 4 tablespoons of the oil and set aside to be used for the Yorkshire pudding. In the remaining oil, brown the onions and mushrooms until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms slightly softened (about 3 to 5 minutes). Add in the remaining salt, garlic, rosemary, and tarragon. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring often so the garlic does not burn. Add the wine to the vegetables and reduce to half (approximately 15 to 20 minutes). Once the wine has reduced, stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Place the meat back on the vegetables. Melt the tomato paste in 1 cup of the broth and add it to the pot. Add the remaining broth. Cover, turn down the heat to low and allow the meat to simmer while the oven preheats to 350°F.
Once the oven is ready, transfer the covered pot to the oven and cook for 3 hours. Do not uncover the meat while it is cooking. While the meat is cooking you can prepare the batter for the Yorkshire pudding.
To make the Yorkshire pudding, sift the flour and set it aside. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and add in the yolks. You want to create as much air as possible. Add the salt, pepper, water, and milk to the eggs. Add the flour into the egg mixture, whisking it together. Cover the bowl and let the mixture rest until you are ready to make the Yorkshire pudding.
Once the meat is ready, remove it from the pot and slice it into portions. Return the portions to the pot, cover, and set aside.
Increase the oven temperature to 475°F. Grease a muffin tin with the reserved oil from the meat and fill each container 3/4 full with the prepared batter (you can transfer the batter to a measuring cup to make it easier to pour into the muffin tin). Once the oven is ready, place both the pot roast and the Yorkshire pudding in. Bake for 20 minutes. Do not open the oven door while baking.
After the Yorkshire pudding is done, remove it from the oven. They should be quite inflated while in the oven, but will instantly deflate once removed. Allow them to rest in the muffin pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a serving dish.
Remove the meat from the pot and transfer it to your serving dish. The sauce will not be thick at this point. To thicken, prepare a roux with the reserved flour and butter. Place the pot over medium-low heat and drop the flour-butter mixture into the sauce. Stir until thickened to a gravy consistency.
Serve with prepared mashed potatoes. Serves 4 to 6.
Patataki 