This slightly sweet pot roast is a delicious Sunday dinner. Cooking the meat for two or three hours before adding the rest of the ingredients will make an old, tough pot roast fall apart and melt in your mouth. If pressed for time, skipping the “low and slow” cooking step for the meat will hurry the process, but the result won’t be nearly as good.
Ingredients:- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3-4 lb. beef chuck roast
- 2 tsp dried rubbed rosemary
- 4-5 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1/4 cup honey barbecue sauce
- 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 medium-large onion, sliced
- 1-2 lbs. baby carrots
- 6-8 medium red potatoes, cut into pieces
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
Preparation:Heat a 12 inch deep dutch oven using 20-22 briquettes bottom heat until the oven is hot. Meanwhile, trim excess fat from the outside of the chuck roast and season with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to the dutch oven and let it sit a minute or two until the olive oil is hot and thin, but not smoking. Add the chuck roast and brown it on all sides.
Put the lid on the dutch oven and roast the chuck roast for 2-3 hours with 5-6 briquettes bottom heat and 10-12 briquettes top heat, replenishing coals as needed. The roast will reduce in size and release a lot of liquid. Pour off all but about a cup of the liquid. (I didn't pour off any liquid in the photo, but should have at least skimmed the fat.)
In a medium bowl, combine the rosemary, garlic, beef stock, honey barbecue sauce, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, salt, and black pepper. Stir until the brown sugar is completely dissolved, Add the bay leaf, and carefully pour into the dutch oven, making sure that the bay leaf ends up in the liquid and not on top of the roast.
Add the sliced onion.
Replace the lid and cook for 30 minutes with 10 briquettes bottom heat and 14-16 briquettes top heat.
After 30 minutes, add the carrots and potatoes and season with dried thyme and parsley flakes.
Replace the lid and continue baking for 1 more hour, or until the vegetables are tender.
Serves 8-10
