Happy Freezing Friday!
It's COLD here. Also it's been cold so our energy bill has nearly doubled from last month even though we keep it COLD in our house and SUPER COLD when we aren't here and just UGH. 
I don't like paying for things like gas and electricity. It should be included indefinitely with closing costs, imo. Let's work on that. Makes perfect sense.
What are you doing this weekend? I'm teaching yoga twice today and twice tomorrow and then on Sunday rubbing my muscles because they'll hurt. Also Jay is going skiing tomorrow so maybe he'll break his leg for a third time! Can't wait to see.
~knocks wood~
Thiiiiiiis pot roast, though. I'm obsessed. There are still leftovers in my fridge, and DAYUMM it's all I an do to not shred this beef into every little thing I eat. Problem is, too much beef makes me sick sometimes, so small portions only sometimes is the name of the game for me vs. cow. If you don't have tummy issues (17 Again...anyone?) you will DEFINITELY want to eat this every day. The tomatoes, garlic, and SPICY PICKLED PEPPERS added right at the end are totes to die for.
Side note. You can make this in a slow cooker by adding everything but the pepperoncini to a slow cooker. Low for 8 hours. Pickled peppers on high for 15-20 minutes. Done.
Not into big meat? You can totally cut it into more manageable pieces before you start searing. I used something called a mock tender because it looked like it would braise well and was nicely priced and had small pieces already wrapped. It worked great, and was nice a lean, too. 2-ish lbs is enough for 4 generous servings - boneless roast can be portioned at about ½ pound per serving. If you buy something with a bone, go for ⅔ pound or so. Any kind of beef that's good for roasting or braising or stewing will work great here. 
In addition to the meat, you need canned tomatoes, onions, garlic, beef stock or consome, olive oil, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and pepperoncini peppers. They can be whole, just slice them into bits before you add them to the pot. 
AND WINE! You need some dry red wine. If you don't have any or don't like it or don't want to use it don't. Add ¼ extra cup of water with the beef consomme and call it a day. 
First - sear! Turn the oven somewhere between 250F (if you have tons of time) and 325F (if you have a leetle less time), and heat a large ovenproof pot to medium-high heat with lots of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the beef, salt it, and LET IT WORK. Don't wiggle it, wait 5-10 minutes until the meat releases very easily from the pan, then flip it and sear on the other sides. 
While the meat sears, peel the garlic cloves and onions. Cut the onions into fat wedges. The onions at my store were weirdly small this week, so you may need 1 massive onion, 2 medium onions, 4 small onions, or no onions if you hate onions. This dish is forgiving, so make a judgement and don't stress - promise. 
Searing can take a while, so be patient. Don't freak out and tear the meat off the pan. If the bottom of the pot starts to scorch, turn down the heat slightly. When the meat is seared on all sides, remove it to a plate. 
Turn the heat on the pot down to medium, and add the wine! YEAH MAN. 
Add the Worcestershire sauce, too. Scrape the bottom of the pot to release any beef bits that might have stuck, and let the wine reduce just for a minute or so - we want most of it to still be in the pot. 
Add the canned tomatoes and their juices. Mine made a nice little ring, perfect for holding seared beef. 
Add the seared beef back to the pot, then add the beef stock or consomme. 
Scatter the garlic and onion right on top of everything. If you're using low sodium broth or stock, add a sprinkle of salt to the veggies. 
Now we cook! Turn off the stove, cover the pot, and stick it in the oven. Go live your life! The roast will braise for about 3 hours at 250F and closer to 1.5-2 at 325F. Cooking time will also depend on the size of the meat you're working with. Check the roast after 90 minutes - we're done when the beef is SUPER fork tender, almost falling apart. When that happens, pour in the pepperoncini and a splash of the pickling juice. 
Increase the oven temperature to 350F and stick the pot back in the oven for 20-30 more minutes UNCOVERED to cook the peppers slightly and thicken the cooking liquid. When the peppers have wilted a bit, we're good to go!
This is Italian-style pot roast. I serve it just with bread and JUST STOP IT. The flavors here are GREAT, and I love that the tomatoes stay whole and pretty and don't disintegrate, but the onions and garlic get super soft and kind of melt into the whole dish. 
To serve, you're welcome to try and slice this, but you don't really need to. A fork will break it into big serving-sized chunks, and make it look all sexy and rustic on a plate.
This is GREAT omg-its-friday-but-so-cold food. TRUST me. 
Try it soon, and enjoy!
Happy weekend, too. I hope no one in your life makes choices that might end with broken limbs.
Recipe
Italian Style Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 1 beef roast shoulder, or mock tender, portion ½ pound per person
- salt to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 can 13 ounces beef broth or consomme
- 1 large can 28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 medium onions cut into wedges
- 10 cloves garlic peeled
- ½ cup sliced pepperoncini peppers plus 1 tablespoon pickling juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F. Heat a large ovenproof pot with a lid over medium-high heat with the olive oil. When the olive oil is hot, add the beef and sprinkle with salt. Sear on all sides, about 7 minutes per side, until the beef releases easily from the pot and the outside is browned. Remove the beef to a plate while you make the sauce.
- Turn the heat on the stove down slightly and add the wine, worcestershire sauce, tomatoes, and beef broth. Stir to release any bits from the bottom of the pot, then add the beef back to the pot. Scatter onion wedges and garlic cloves over top. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven for 2-3 hours until the beef is very tender and can be cut with a fork. Add the peppers and pickling juice to the pot and increase the oven temperature to 350F. Cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes more until the peppers are wilted and sauce is slightly thickened.
- Slice the beef or cut into large chunks before serving with bread, rice, or as desired.
Notes
- Use a slow cooker if you'd like! Add all ingredients but pepperoncini to a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. 30 minutes before serving, add the peppers and pickling juice and cook on high until peppers are slightly wilted.
Nutrition
Shared with weekend potluck. Head over to join the fun!
Bob McSwain says
It's in the oven. We will see! We will see!
Bob McSwain says
Excellent!
AND on day 3 leftovers are great served on bun with a hot sauce and cheese!