Stracotto -- Pot Roast with Mushrooms, Tomatoes and Red Wine

By fuzzygroup

Ingredients

• 1 boneless chuck eye, seven bone or top blade roast -- about 3.5 pounds
• Table salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion chopped medium
• 1 small carrot, peeled and chopped medium
• 10 ounces white mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
• 2 medium garlic cloves minced
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups water

Preparation

Step 1

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Thoroughly pat roast dry with paper towels and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in large dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Brown roast thoroughly on all sides reducing heat if fat begins to smoke, 8 to 10 minutes in total. Transfer roast to large plate and set aside.
3. Reduce heat to medium, add onion, carrot, mushrooms to pot and cook stirring periodically until vegetables begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and sugar and cook until fragrant -- 30 seconds. Add chicken and beef broth, wine, tomatoes and juice and thyme, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Return roast and any juices to pot. Add enough water to come halfway up sides of roast. Bring liquid to simmer over medium heat then place large piece of foil over pot and cover tightly with lid. Transfer pot to oven. Cook turning every 30 minutes until fully tender and meat fork or knife slips in and out -- 3.5 to 4 hours.
4. Transfer to carving board and tent with foil to keep warm. Allow liquid to settle for 5 minutes then use wide spoon to skim fat from surface. Boil over high heat until reduced to 1.5 cups, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Remove twine if used. Cut meat into 1/2"slices and transfer to warmed serving platter and pour sauce and vegetables over it. Serve immediately.