Grass-fed Pot Roast

Chuck roasts are a glorious thing, they are so versatile, affordable and compliment the cold weather we are having. You can cook it whole as a pot roast or cut it up and cook it as real Texas beef chili, Adirondack Beef Bourginon or even Nebraska Goulash.

This pot roast is simple and will not disappoint. A lot of people add potatoes and carrots with the roast but I grew up with the pot roast being cooked separately. Boiled potatoes were a stable in my house, and my mother would serve the pan juices along side the roast. As a kid this was one of my favorite dinners, and the pan juices over the boiled potatoes were almost as good as the roast. YUM!

There is a lot of pan juices in with this recipe because I like to make left over soup with the pot-roast for dinner the next night, you can half the water if you do not think you will have any left for leftovers. Here is a link to my tomato and pot roast soup perfect with garlic bread for an easy dinner!

Rodney Strong Wines, a sustainable winery located in California, was kind enough to donate wine for this post. Wonderful wine in the pot-roast and it was also excellent as an accompaniment to the roast.

Grass-fed Pot Roast

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons bacon fat or canola oil
• 2 -2 1/2 pound sirloin or chuck roast
  
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 large onion, quartered and seperated
  
• handful of fresh thyme and chives
• two bay leaves
• 1 cup red wine
• 4 - 2 cups of beef broth (4 if you want to make a soup with leftovers)
  
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

METHOD:

1. Season roast very liberally with LOTS of kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper.
   
2. In a dutch oven heat bacon fat, reduce heat to medium and brown roast on all sides. This can take up to half an hour.
3. Add garlic and onions saute for about 5 minutes, add herbs, water, wine and soy sauce. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.
   
4. Simmer covered for 2 - 4 hours.
5. Serve with boiled potatoes and steamed vegetables.