Chef Marco’s peposo-inspired pot roast with Brodo recipe is a perfect example of Italian cucina povera. It lends itself well to large celebratory gatherings such as Christmas – allowing you to add more seats to your family’s table without breaking the bank.
Thanks to braising the chuck roast in umami-rich Brodo, you’ll achieve an intense depth of delicious flavor that will have your guests believing that you’ve spent hours in the kitchen – while in reality it’s a very simple preparation. Then it’s just a matter of waiting for it to slowly simmer in a Dutch oven, creating a heavenly aroma throughout the house.
Ingredients
For the Pot Roast:
- 3.5-4 lb. Beef chuck roast
- 5 Tbs. Whole black pepper, crushed coarsely in a mortar and pestle.
- Kosher salt
- 5 Tbs. Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium *Carrot, grated on box grater then chopped further with knife
- 1 medium *Yellow onion, grated on box grater then chopped further with knife
- 1 whole Head of garlic, 10ish cloves, peeled and smashed with back of knife.
- 2 Tbs. Worth of rosemary
- 3 Tbs. Tomato paste
- 1.5 cups Chianti wine
- 3 cup Pouch of Brodo Signature Hearth or Grassfed Beef broth
*Note: you want these veg to be minced, they will eventually melt into the broth during cooking
For the Vegetable Garnish:
Feel free to use whatever hearty winter vegetables you like – parsnips, shallots, turnips, cabbage, potatoes, leeks etc.. can all work well.. I’m keeping it classic with the following: 2 small onions, roughly chopped, 2 large carrots, roughly chopped, 3 large stalks of celery, roughly chopped, 3 large sprigs of rosemary, and 2 Tbs. more olive oil
Instructions
For the Pot Roast:
- Abundantly season meat on all sides with kosher salt and all of the cracked black pepper.
- Using your hands, firmly press salt and pepper into the meat.
- Add 5 Tbs. of olive oil to a heavy bottom skillet over high heat, at first sign of wisps of smoke gently add meat to pan, sear on all sides until a dark brown crust forms – approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Once browned, use a spoon and carefully scoop out some fat and burnt peppercorns that have fallen off of the meat. Be sure to leave 2-3 Tbs. of fat behind.
- Add all of the red wine and let it rapidly boil and reduce for 5 minutes – using a large spoon periodically baste the meat with the wine.
- Add the entire 3-cup pouch of broth (or 3x 1-cup pouches), bring to a boil, and reduce for 5 more minutes.
- Remove the beef and all the liquid to a bowl and set aside… in the same pan add 2 Tbs. of olive oil.
- Over medium high heat, add the minced carrot, onion, smashed garlic, and rosemary.
- Saute for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add 3 Tbs. of tomato paste and stir into vegetables; saute for another 3 minutes.
- Add all of the broth/red wine mixture back into the pan.
- Nestle the meat into the pot
- Cover with a tight fitting lid and set into a 310 degree F oven for 4 hours.
For the Vegetable Garnish:
- Add 2 Tbs. olive oil to a large saute pan over high heat
- At first sign of smoke, add all the vegetables and rosemary
- Season with salt and pepper
- Saute for 10 minutes over high heat stirring periodically
- You want to achieve nice brown roasted color on the vegetables
- At hour three of the meat braising in the oven, add these vegetables and continue cooking in the oven for the final hour.
- Reccommend serving this pot roast with a big bowl of polenta or mashed potatoes!
