Benedettas Tuscan Pot Roast Food

STRACOTTO DI MANZO (ITALIAN POT ROAST)

Steps:

• Place dried porcini mushrooms in hot beef stock to reconstitute and soften for about 30 minutes.
• Season both sides of the beef with salt and pepper, plus any dried seasonings that you prefer.
• Pour olive oil into a large, deep cast iron dutch oven pot or a lined cast iron pot (such as Le Creuset).
• Add the beef to the pan to sear (brown) on each side for about 7 minutes, turning only once, totaling about 15 minutes. While beef is searing, sprinkle about a teaspoon of chopped garlic all over to saute with the beef.
• Remove beef from the pot and place on a platter.
• With a sharp knife, cut slits in the beef and insert the slices of garlic.
• In the hot olive oil, saute the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and pancetta.
• Then add the chopped garlic and saute for another 3 - 5 minutes, being very careful not to burn the garlic.
• Deglaze the pan with about 2 Tbsp. deep, dark red wine (merlot or burgundy) and simmer until the wine is reduced but not completely evaporated.
• Add 3 Tbsp. or more of tomato paste and the cans of imported Italian tomatoes and juice, squishing the tomatoes so that they fall apart as you pour them into the pot.
• Add all of the chopped herbs, except for the sprigs of thyme, rosemary, and Italian parsley which are added at the end of cooking.
• Gently stir everything together with a large spoon.
• Add the beef broth and red wine.
• Add the large cut up pieces of carrots, celery, and potatoes.
• Add the artichokes, roasted red pepper slices, and the crimini and porcini mushrooms.
• Place the garlic-studded beef roast back into the pot on top of the vegetables.
• Add a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary to the pot.
• Cover the pot with a lid and bake in the oven for 3 hours on 325 F degrees OR until fork tender (beef easily breaks up into pieces with a fork).
• Add the chopped Italian parsley for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• After roasting is finished, remove from the oven and cover loosely and allow everything to rest for 10 minutes.
• Garnish with fresh sprigs of rosemary and thyme, and minced Italian parsley.

TUSCAN POT ROAST

Steps:

• Pat meat dry with paper towel. Coat evenly with 2 Tbsp. flour.
• Heat Dutch oven or large deep skillet on medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp. dressing and meat; cook meat 2 to 3 min. on each side or until browned on both sides. Remove meat from pan; set aside. Add remaining dressing, mushrooms, carrots, peppers and onions to pan; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until vegetables are lightly browned, stirring frequently to scrape up browned bits from bottom of pan. Add garlic; cook 1 min. or until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes with reserved liquid and Italian seasoning; stir. Return meat to pan; bring to boil. Cover; simmer on low heat 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until meat is tender, turning meat occasionally.
• Transfer meat to cutting board; cover to keep warm. Spoon vegetables onto serving platter, reserving meat juices in pan. Mix remaining flour and water; gradually whisk into juices in pan. Cook and stir on medium heat 3 to 5 min. or until thickened. Slice meat across the grain; place on platter with vegetables. Serve with gravy.

BEST EVER SLOW COOKER ITALIAN BEEF ROAST

Steps:

• Place beef chuck roast into a slow cooker and scatter onion quarters around the meat. Pour the beef broth over the meat and sprinkle the au jus mix, Italian salad dressing mix, salt, and black pepper over the roast.
• Cover cooker, set on Low, and cook until meat is very tender, 6 to 8 hours.

ITALIAN POT ROAST

Steps:

• Cut roast in half. Place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, onion, wine, salt, basil, oregano, garlic and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until meat is tender. , Remove meat to a serving platter; keep warm. Skim fat from cooking juices; transfer to a small saucepan. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve with meat.

ITALIAN POT ROAST (STRACOTTO)

Steps:

• Cut the garlic into thin slivers. Pierce the meat in many places with the point of a knife and insert the garlic slivers into the holes.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy 3- to 4-quart heatproof casserole. Add the meat and brown it well over medium heat. Remove it from the casserole. Add the remaining oil and the onions, carrots and celery. Saute them until moderately brown.
• Stir in the wine and cook for a few minutes, scraping the casserole. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and basil. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and return the meat to the casserole.
• Cover tightly and cook over very low heat for at least three hours, until the meat is very tender. Turn the meat a few times during cooking.
• Remove the meat from the casserole. To serve immediately, skim the fat from the surface of the sauce, then puree the sauce in a food processor and reheat. Otherwise, refrigerate the meat and sauce overnight. Remove any congealed fat from the sauce and puree the sauce in a food processor. Reheat the meat in the sauce before serving.

TUSCAN PORK ROAST

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the garlic, rosemary, oil and salt; cover and process until mixture becomes a paste. Rub over the roast; cover and let stand for 30 minutes. , Place roast fat side up on a greased baking rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until a thermometer reads 145°. Let meat stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

BENEDETTA'S TUSCAN POT ROAST

Steps:

• On a cutting board, mince together rosemary and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper. Using a long sharp knife, make a hole right through the meat. Push the seasoning mixture into the meat with the handle of a wooden spoon.
• Add oil to a Dutch oven just large enough to hold the beef. Heat over high heat, and brown the meat on all sides, except where it has been cut by the butcher, about 10 minutes.
• In a small bowl, stir mustard into wine, and add to the Dutch oven. Season with salt. Continue to cook, covered, over high heat, turning the meat often, so that each side of the meat is immersed in the boiling liquid. The exact time will be determined by the size of the meat, but the browning time plus 15 minutes of cooking in wine will probably be sufficient. The beef should be dark brown on the outside and pink on the inside.
• Remove the meat to a carving board or platter. If you want a thicker gravy, leave the liquid over high heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until it becomes a bit thicker. If you want a thinner gravy, add stock. Adjust the seasoning. Slice, and serve with the gravy spooned over.

SLOW COOKER TUSCAN POT ROAST

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and brown the roast on all sides. Transfer the roast to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker.
• To the oil remaining in the pan, add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the vegetables; transfer to the cooker.
• Pour the wine into the pan and deglaze, scraping up any browned bits, then pour the contents of the pan into the cooker. Add the mushrooms, salt, oregano, and tomatoes (as well as about 1 cup of their liquid). Cook 8 hours on low heat, or 4 hours on high heat.

BENEDETTA'S SAUTEED SPINACH

Steps:

• Pour 1/2 inch of water into a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Add salt and spinach, cover, and let cook for 1 minute. Uncover, stir with a wooden spoon, and boil for another minute. Drain thoroughly, leaving the spinach in the colander for about 10 minutes. Gently press out the excess water with the back of a fork, taking care not to damage the leaves.
• Using a very sharp knife gently cut the spinach into strips. Be sure not to mince the spinach, which will be quite fragile.
• In a medium nonstick skillet, heat oil, garlic, and chile pepper over medium heat, stirring so the garlic doesn't burn as the oil heats. When oil begins to sizzle, add the cut spinach, and cook for about 5 minutes. Occasionally turn the spinach gently with a wooden spoon to combine. Taste, adjust for salt, and serve hot.

ITALIAN POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium high heat.
• Pat roast dry and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Once the oil is shimmering hot, sear the meat on both ends and all the way around the outside. Total time about 15 minutes to sear the whole roast.
• Remove the roast to a plate and add the carrots, celery and onions and cook for five minutes, stirring often.
• Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook for two more minutes.
• Add wine to deglaze. Cook until the wine evaporates.
• Add the bay leaves, sundried tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, broth, thyme, oregano and basil and stir. Add the beef back in along with any liquid on the plate, cover and place in the oven for three hours, turning the beef over once about 1 ½ hours into the roasting time.
• After the full three hours, remove the meat, let it rest under a sheet of loose foil for 10 minutes.
• Remove and discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs then slice the beef and serve with the sauce.
• The string should be left on while slicing to hold the roast together. OK to cut off after sliced and plated.

TUSCAN ROAST PORK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 225°F (110°C) and position a rack in the center of the oven.
• Meanwhile, in the bowl of a small food processor, combine the garlic, rosemary, sage, anchovy (if using), and 3 tablespoons oil and process until a coarse paste forms. (Alternatively, you can use a mortar and pestle.)
• If desired, use kitchen string to tie the pork tightly crosswise about every 2 inches (5 cm). You can slip the bay leaves under the twine if you like. If you do not tie your pork, but wish to use bay leaves, simply carve a couple slits in the pork and tuck the bay leaves into the slits.
• Season the pork on all sides with the salt, rubbing the meat to coat it.
• In a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Add the pork and sear, starting with the fatty side and using tongs to turn it, until dark golden brown on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes total. Turn off the heat and let the pork in the skillet.
• Using an offset spatula or pastry brush, coat the pork with the herb mixture. If you're the sort who likes the punch of raw garlic, reserve 1 tablespoon of the herb mixture to coat the pork after it comes out of the oven.
• Transfer the skillet to the center rack in the oven and roast until the meat is tender and the internal temperature is around 180°F (82°C), 2 to 3 hours. (Rest assured, if you just got alarmed at those numbers, that although this is a much higher internal temperature than we typically cook pork, it works.)
• Remove the skillet from the oven. If desired, brush the top and sides of the pork with the reserved 1 tablespoon herb mixture. Let the pork cool for at least 5 minutes.
• Transfer the pork to a cutting board, reserving the cooking juices in the skillet. Remove and discard the string and bay leaves, if using.
• Slice the pork very thinly (about 1/8 inch | 4 mm thickness) and arrange the slices on a serving platter. Drizzle with the juices and herbs from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

TUSCAN-JEWISH POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large, heavy pot with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, celery, and onion, and cook, stirring, until the onion is wilted about 3 minutes. Add the bay leaf, rosemary, parsley, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken livers and mix. Place the brisket on top and pour the wine, stock, and tomatoes over the meat. Cover tightly and bake until very tender, stirring about once an hour and adding a little water if necessary, about 4 hours. Serve in slices with the pan juices.

TUSCAN POT ROAST

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the roast on all sides.
• Transfer the roast to a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker (Crockpot).
• To the fat remaining in the skillet, add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic.
• Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the vegetables; transfer to the cooker.
• Pour the wine into the skillet and deglaze the browned bits; add the wine to the cooker, along with the mushrooms, salt, oregano, and tomatoes (plus 1 cup of their liquid).
• Cook 8 hours on low heat or 4 hours on high heat.

ITALIAN STYLE POT ROAST

Steps:

• Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and brown meat on all sides in hot oil.
• In large bowl combine tomatoes, pizza sauce, cheese, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, oregano, and pepper. Pour over meat. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 2 hours, turning meat each half hour.
• Remove meat from pan, and cool slightly. Skim fat from pan juices. Measure juices, and add enough water to make 6 cups liquid. Return liquid to Dutch oven. Blend cornstarch and 3 tablespoons cold water; stir into pan juices. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.
• Slice meat thinly against the grain. Return meat to pot, and add mushrooms. Simmer for 30 minutes longer.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until done. Drain. To serve, place meat slices over hot noodles, and pour some sauce over. Pass remaining sauce.