Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Pot Roast a la Giada

Pot Roast a la Giada

I frequently have The Food Network on in the background when I'm puttering around the house and every once in a while I see something inspiring. One day Giada De Laurentis' show Giada at Home was on and I watched her take a roast out of the oven that looked so tender and succulent that I had to go to the show's website and look up the recipe immediately. And I knew what I was cooking for the weekend!

Pot Roast a la Giada
I make pot roast frequently but usually use an Eye Round cut due to its leanness. Giada's recipe used a Blade Roast which is fattier but we all know that means more delicious. I did make a couple of modifications to the recipe. I substituted regular yellow onions for the 2 cups of cipollini onions and omitted the fennel bulbs because neither of us like that liquorish taste.

Pot Roast a la Giada
I was intrigued by the fact that she thickened her sauce by pureeing the veggies as opposed to straining and using flour. She used a stick blender which is still on my kitchen do-dads wish list so I used a food processor. More stuff to wash but equal results. And speaking of results, this recipe is a winner on every level.

Pot Roast a la Giada
'Mommy, are you mad at me?'
We gorged... stuffed our faces... ate well for three days. The first night I served it with potatoes. The second night Brian had a craving for spaetzle (see the recipe here) and that was even better than the potatoes. The third night I sliced crusty bread, put the slices into a bowl and spooned the meat and gravy over it, diner style. That one might have actually been my favorite. So, four hours of cooking, three days of feasting and a recipe that's going into the "make again soon" pile. Actually, there should have been another serving but that leads to a story about the very poorly behaved dog on the left. Innocent looking, isn't she? Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 (4-5 lb.) Boneless blade/chuck roast
2 Large onions, peeled and chopped
3 Medium carrots, peeled and sliced
6 Cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
4 Cups beef broth
1 Cup dry sherry (I used red wine)
1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 Teaspoon salt plus additional for seasoning
1 Teaspoon black pepper plus additional for seasoning
4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

Pot Roast a la Giada
Make an herb rub for the meat by mixing together the rosemary, thyme, teaspoon of salt, teaspoon of pepper and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small dish. Pat the beef dry and rub on all sides with the herb mixture. In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add the beef and sear until browned on all sides. Remove the beef from the pot.

Add the remaining oil to the pot along with the onions, garlic and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until tender, about 10 minutes. Deglaze by adding the wine and scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the beef stock and return the meat to the pot.

Cover and cook in a 350 degree oven for four hours, turning the beef over halfway through and adding additional stock if needed. When done, remove the roast and allow to rest under aluminum foil. Puree the sauce with a stick blender, regular blender or food processor and return the roast to the pot. The meat will be tender enough to pull apart with a fork. Makes approximately 8 servings depending on the size of the roast......and the proximity of a dog.

17 comments:

  1. This does look like a tasty way to prepare a roast! A blade roast would not have been my first choice of a cut of meat to use, however after reading this I have made a note to try it the next time. Great ingredients in this one, but I don't think I would have put the fennel in there either.
    Your pup is adorable, definitely a face that makes it hard to be mad at! Have a great day Anita.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Looks amazing. I would probably have skipped on the fennel as well. I recently thickened a sauce by pureeing the veggies as well. New one for me. How could you be mad at a dog that cute? Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. oh pot roast is so hearty and comforting. I've never thought of blending the veggies as a thickener either...plus the roasted carrots and potatos are the best part!

    ReplyDelete
  4. i love the idea of blending the vegetables to thicken the sauce...this pot roast sounds so tasty and succulent, yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  5. That roast looks amazing - and I definitely love the tip of pureeing the vegetables!

    ReplyDelete
  6. This looks fabulous. I love Giada's recipes. However, sometimes I find it so annoying to watch her. I hate how she speaks in perfect english, then will "Italianize" words like biscotti, mozzarella and bruschetta. It drives me up a wall...lol.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Aw! it sounds delicious - who could blame the innocent looking pup? With a face like that I'm sure she was easily forgiven!

    ReplyDelete
  8. You pup is SUPER cute. I want to squeeze her :) AND now I want to eat a gigantic pot roast.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I remember my mom making Sunday supper pot roast. The house smelled amazing, and we all knew we were in for a treat. What darling puppy. How could you possibly stay mad at her. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Such a cute doggy woggy! And I love pot roast too.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I have been craving a pot roast lately. And what a great way to use up those leftovers.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Aww, your puppy is just wayyy too cute! This pot roast looks superb! =]

    ReplyDelete
  13. The food network for me is like a sporting event. I don't necessary have to only be watching it to enjoy and learn. Great dish!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I've never made a roast before but this looks easy and delicious! I can't wait to try it!

    ReplyDelete
  15. My brother will love this - thank you very much!

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    ReplyDelete
  16. Beautiful pot roast!!! And I love the idea of serving it with spaetzel...yum!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. This looks delicious--love the little chunks of carrot in the sauce.

    ReplyDelete

We'd love to hear from you!