- 6
- 15 mins
- 225 mins
Ingredients
- 1 (3 1/2 pound) chuck roast, boneless
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 4 oz pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 2 medium onions, chopped medium (about 2 cups)
- 2 medium carrots, chopped medium (about 1 cup)
- 2 ribs celery, chopped medium (1 cup)
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 (750 ml) bottle Zinfandel wine (can substitute Cabernet Sauvignon)
- 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
Preparation
Step 1
Pour a little water into a Dutch oven or other heavy, lidded pot. Set the pot over medium heat and add the diced pancetta. As soon as the water begins to simmer, lower the heat to medium-low and slowly crisp up the pancetta; the water allows some of the fat in the pork to render out without charring the pancetta. When the pancetta is crispy and brown, remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Pat the beef roast dry with a paper towel, increase the heat to medium and brown all sides in the pot. Once the meat has browned remove it to a bowl and add the onions, carrot and celery. Sprinkle salt over the vegetables while they cook. Increase the heat to medium-high and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Add the tomato paste and stir well, sauté for another 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Increase the heat to high and add the tomatoes, the pancetta, herbs and red wine. Nestle the beef roast into the pot, cover, place in the 300°F oven and cook for 3 hours. At the halfway point, use tongs to turn the beef roast over.
Remove the pot from oven and transfer beef to a large bowl; tent with foil to keep warm. Allow the liquid to settle in the pot for a few minutes, if you'd like, skim off some of the fat with a wide shallow spoon. If you have an immersion blender, use it to blend the contents of the pot. If you don't, use a whisk to help break down the vegetables. Boil the sauce until it is reduced to about 3 1/2 cups. Strain liquid through large fine-mesh strainer, pressing on solids with spatula to extract as much liquid as possible; you should have a couple cups strained sauce. Add any accumulated juices from the bowl you have the beef in. Boil the sauce again until it has reduced to 1 1/2 cups. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
Cut the meat into roughly 1/2-inch-thick slices and pour the sauce over them. Serve with a bold red wine and crusty bread or mashed potatoes.
Also, try finishing the sauce by whisking in a few tablespoons of unsalted butter (not margarine, for God's sake). It will taste much smoother and richer.
A chuck roast is the best cut for braising, make sure you are using that cut and not another. Also, because this recipe calls for an entire bottle of wine, using a bottle of wine that you enjoy drinking is important. The better the wine going in, the better the sauce is going to be. If the wine isn't particularly good (or you don't really love drinking it) it isn't going to make a decent sauce. Finally, sometimes the roast just isn't tender enough after 3 hours and needs more time in the oven. ~Elise