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Mom's Home-Style Pot Roast

Source of Recipe

From "Williams-Sonoma Comfort Food" by Rick Rodgers


Recipe Introduction

"In this recipe, thickly sliced onions, paprika, and bacon fat boost the flavor. But, carrots, parsnips, or sweet potatoes are also great for transforming a modest chuck roast into a flavorful chuck roast into a flavorful meal. You'll have lots of sauce from this recipe, so make Buttery Mashed Potatoes for soaking it up."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 3 yellow onions
â—¦ 1 beef chuck roast (about 2 ½ pounds)
â—¦ Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
â—¦ ¼ cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ 3 tablespoons rendered bacon fat or canola oil
â—¦ 4 cloves garlic, chopped
â—¦ 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, preferably Hungarian or Spanish
â—¦ 1 ½ cups beef stock or broth
â—¦ 1 ½ cups (15 ounces) canned plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
â—¦ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish


Recipe

Halve the onions through the stem, and cut the halves into ½-inch thick half-moons. Set aside.

Season the chuck roast with ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Spread the flour on a plate. Coat the roast with the flour, shaking off the excess.

In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat over medium-high heat. Add the roast and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon bacon fat to the pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onions, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and paprika and cook until the garlic is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the stock, tomatoes, and 2 tablespoons parsley and stir. Return the beef to the pot, nestling in the onions. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the beef is fork-tender, about 2 hours.

Transfer the pot roast to a deep serving platter. Season the onion mixture with salt and pepper. Skim off any fat from the surface. Spoon the onion mixture around the roast and sprinkle with more parsley. Serve at once.

Makes 4 to 6 servings



• Change It Up:
To make beef paprikash, simply add sour cream to the sauce. Transfer the pot roast to a platter and skim the fat from the surface as directed. Stir 1 cup sour cream into the sauce and cook just until it is heated through; do not allow to boil. Season with salt and pepper. Pot roast also makes excellent hot sandwiches. Slice the roast and serve it along with plenty of the saucy onions on crusty rolls.