Spiced Pot Roast

Spiced Pot Roast

by Nathan Fong

Serves 4 to 6

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

8 oz smoked slab bacon, cut into 1-inch by 1⁄4-inch pieces

sea salt

One 2 1⁄2 to 3 pound beef chuck roast, cut crosswise into 4 equal steaks

6 medium onions, thinly sliced

12 lg garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1⁄2 cup beef stock

20 allspice berries

12 black peppercorns

1⁄4 to 1⁄2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

1 cup chopped canned tomatoes

2 cups dry white wine

1 cup beef stock

2 Tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

In a large heavy casserole or Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid, melt 2 Tbsp of the butter over medium heat. Add the bacon and reduce heat to medium low and cook until crisp but still tender, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.

Generously salt the beef. Increase the heat of the pot to medium high and cook the steaks until browned on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Work in batches if there is not enough room in the pot. Remove steaks to a platter and set aside.

Add in the onions, garlic and 1 tsp salt into the pot and sauté over medium high heat, stirring regularly until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add beef stock to deglaze bottom of pot. Remove everything from pot and transfer to a side dish.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Rub the inside of the pot with the remaining 1 Tbsp butter. Spread half of the onion mixture over the bottom of the casserole. Lay the meat in a single layer over the onions. Scatter the allspice berries, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, chopped tomatoes and half the reserved bacon over the meat. Add the remaining onion mixture on top and scatter the remaining bacon over the top. Slowly pour the wine, beef stock and any collected beef or onion juices on the plates into the pot. Add more wine and stock to just cover the solids if necessary.

Bring to a bubling simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Cover and transfer to the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 250 and continue cooking for 3 to 3 1⁄2 hours or until meat is very tender.

Turn off oven, uncover pot and let the pot roast rest in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Divide the meat among wide serving dishes. Spoon over the onion broth, garnish with parsley and serve with hot steamed rice or mashed potatoes.