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Simple Pot Roast

This is a VERY basic recipe for pot roast that can be spiced up with any spices, vegetables or flavorful liquids you may have laying around. I'd certainly recommend a healthy splash of vinegar, maybe some Worcestershire sauce and a shot or two of hot sauce or Cayenne.
Course Main
Cuisine Danish
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours
Servings 6 -8
Author Johan Johansen

Ingredients

  • 2 kilos of beef chuck preferably bone-in
  • two large onions finely diced
  • two stalks of celery finely diced
  • half a celeriac root peeled and cut into 1x1 cm cubes
  • 3 large carrots cut into one centimeter pieces
  • 3 parsnips cut into one centimeter pieces
  • Two cloves of garlic finely chopped
  • one bottle of red wine
  • a splash of soy sauce
  • 50 grams of butter
  • beef stock
  • A couple of bay leafs
  • A few green leek tops
  • A few stalks of fresh thyme
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Start by removing beef from the fridge, unwrap it and sprinkle generously with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  2. Fetch a pot large enough to fit all ingredients, put it over low heat and dump in half the butter.
  3. When butter has melted, add in onion, celery and garlic plus a pinch of salt. Sweat over low heat for about 30 minutes. Make sure garlic doesn't burn!
  4. Heat a large cast iron pan over high heat for a good few minutes. When hot, add a splash of cooking oil and the remaining butter.
  5. Carefully put beef in pan (it will splatter) and brown thoroughly for a few minutes on every surface.
  6. When beef is thoroughly browned, remove it from the pan and put into pot with the vegetables.
  7. Kill the heat under the pan and deglaze pan with a bit of red wine. Scrape bottom of pan thoroughly with wooden spoon or spatula to get any brown, caramelized bits off the bottom of the pan.
  8. Dump pan contents into your pot and follow up with the rest of the bottle of red wine and a splash of beef stock. Also add in bay leaves, leek tops and thyme sprigs. The liquid should only partially cover the beef, beef must not be submerged.
  9. Raise heat under pot to high and bring contents to a boil, let boil uncovered for about five minutes to cook off most of the alcohol then back the heat down to medium and maintain a steady simmer. Cover the pot and let it simmer for about an hour.
  10. After an hour, add carrots, celeriac, and parsnips. Reapply lid and continue to simmer covered for another two hours or so.
  11. Test beef for doneness with a fork. Fork should slide easily into beef.
  12. Remove beef to a plate and cover to keep warm. Remove bay leaves, leek tops and thyme sprigs.
  13. Raise heat to medium-high, and reduce sauce to desired consistency, then dump in whipped cream, stir thoroughly to combine and allow pot to come back to a simmer.
  14. If you're so inclined, you can at this point thicken the sauce using your favorite method and/or starch.
  15. Slice beef thickly, serve over mashed potatoes with a generous splash of the sauce.