A Healthy Take On The Classic French Pot Roast Food

CLASSIC POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
• Season the chuck roast with the Kosher salt, pepper and thyme.
• Add the canola oil to a pan and heat. When it ripples and is hot add in the roast and brown, deeply, for 4-5 minutes on each side (or if you can, brown in your slow cooker).
• Add carrots, potatoes, garlic and beef broth and cook for 3 - 3 1/2 hours.

THE BEST POT ROAST

Steps:

• Sprinkle the roast with 3 tablespoons of the salt, rubbing into the grain and covering all sides. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.
• Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 275 degrees F.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Cook the meat, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium-high and heat the remaining 4 tablespoons oil in the pot. Cook the onions and the remaining 1 tablespoon salt, stirring occasionally, until browned but not completely cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes (it's ok if the onion wedges break apart). Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until the paste is brick red and the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and bay leaves and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot, until slightly reduced and you can no longer smell the alcohol, about 4 minutes. Add the flour, stir to coat the onions and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the broth and pepper and bring to a boil.
• Nestle the meat and any accumulated juices into the onions. Arrange the carrots, celery and potatoes around the roast, pushing them into the onions and surrounding the beef. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is very tender but still holds its shape and is not falling apart, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Let rest, covered, at least 45 minutes before serving.
• Transfer the roast to a cutting board and remove the twine with scissors, if necessary. Slice against the grain.
• Divide the vegetables among plates and arrange the sliced beef over top. Spoon sauce over the top garnish with parsley and chives.

HEALTHIER MARIE'S EASY SLOW COOKER POT ROAST

Steps:

• Season the chuck roast with salt and pepper.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; brown roast on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer roast to a slow cooker. Pour the beef stock into the skillet, and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the broth and onions into slow cooker; cover and cook on Low for 5 hours. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, and parsley. Cover and cook on Low until roast is tender and cooked through, 3 additional hours.

FRENCH POT ROAST

Steps:

• Mix soup, thyme and wine together.
• Pour over roast in a dutch oven.
• Add mushrooms.
• Cover and cook over medium low heat for 2 hours.
• When roast is done to taste, remove from pan.
• Mix cornstarch with cold water in a glass.
• Turn heat up under pan juices to high.
• Bring to a boil, then slowly add cornstarch mixture while stirring constantly.
• Bring back to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.
• Slice meat and serve with the mushroom gravy.

FRENCH-STYLE POT ROAST

Steps:

• Season meat with kosher salt. Place on wire rack in rimmed baking sheet, and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, bring wine to simmer in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes. Using kitchen twine, tie parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves into bundle.
• Pat beef dry with paper towels and season generously with pepper. Tie three pieces of kitchen twine around each piece of meat to keep it from falling apart.
• Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 300°F Cook bacon in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 6-8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper-towel lined plate and reserve. Pour off all but 2 tbsp of bacon fat; return Dutch oven to medium-high heat and heat until fat begins to smoke. Add beef to pat and brown on all sides, 8-10 minutes total. Transfer beef to large plate and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium; add onion and cook,, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, 2-4 minutes. Add garlic, flour, and reserved bacon; cook stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add reduced wine, broth, and herb bundles, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Return roast and any accumulated juices to pot; increase heat to high and bring liquid to simmer, then place large sheet of foil over pot and cover tightly with lid. Set pot in oven and cook, using tongs to turn beef every hour, until dinner fork slips easily in and out of meat, 2 1/2 -3 hours, adding carrots to pot after 2 hours.
• While meat cooks, bring pearl onions, butter, sugar and 1/2 cup water to boil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until onions are tender, 5-8 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high heat, and cook until all liquid evaporates, 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoons table salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned and glazed 8-12 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Place remaining 1/4 cup cold water in small bowl and sprinkle gelatin on top.
• Transfer beef to cutting board; tent with foil to keep warm. Allow braising liquid to settle for about 5 minutes, then using wide shallow spoon, skim fat off surface. Remove herb bundle and stir in onion-mushroom mixture. Bring liquid to simmer over medium-high heat and cook until mixture is slightly thickened and reduced to 3 1/4 cups, 20-30 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Add softened gelatin and stir until completely dissolved.
• Remove kitchen twine from meat and discard. Using chef's or carving knife, cut meat against grain into 1/2" thick slices. Divide meat among warmed bowls or transfer to platter; arrange vegetables around meat, pour sauce on top, and sprinkle with minced parsley. Serve immediately.
• To make ahead: Follow recipe to point where gelatine is sprinkled on top of cold water. OMIT THIS STEP. Place the meat back into reduced sauce, cool it to room temperature, cover it, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. To serve slice the beef and arrange it in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Bring the sauce to a simmer and stir in the gelatin until completely dissolved. Pour the war m sauce over the meat, cover it with aluminum foil and bake it in a 350°F oven until heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve with boiled potatoes, buttered noodles or steamed rice.