Pot Roast a la Giada

I frequently have The Food Network on in the background when I'm puttering around the house and every once in a while I see something inspiring. One day Giada De Laurentis' show Giada at Home was on and I watched her take a roast out of the oven that looked so tender and succulent that I had to go to the show's website and look up the recipe immediately. And I knew what I was cooking for the weekend!

I make pot roast frequently but usually use an Eye Round cut due to its leanness. Giada's recipe used a Blade Roast which is fattier but we all know that means more delicious. I did make a couple of modifications to the recipe. I substituted regular yellow onions for the 2 cups of cipollini onions and omitted the fennel bulbs because neither of us like that liquorish taste.

I was intrigued by the fact that she thickened her sauce by pureeing the veggies as opposed to straining and using flour. She used a stick blender which is still on my kitchen do-dads wish list so I used a food processor. More stuff to wash but equal results. And speaking of results, this recipe is a winner on every level.

'Mommy, are you mad at me?'

We gorged... stuffed our faces... ate well for three days. The first night I served it with potatoes. The second night Brian had a craving for spaetzle (see the recipe here) and that was even better than the potatoes. The third night I sliced crusty bread, put the slices into a bowl and spooned the meat and gravy over it, diner style. That one might have actually been my favorite. So, four hours of cooking, three days of feasting and a recipe that's going into the "make again soon" pile. Actually, there should have been another serving but that leads to a story about the very poorly behaved dog on the left. Innocent looking, isn't she? Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 (4-5 lb.) Boneless blade/chuck roast
2 Large onions, peeled and chopped
3 Medium carrots, peeled and sliced
6 Cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
4 Cups beef broth
1 Cup dry sherry (I used red wine)
1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 Teaspoon salt plus additional for seasoning
1 Teaspoon black pepper plus additional for seasoning
4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

Make an herb rub for the meat by mixing together the rosemary, thyme, teaspoon of salt, teaspoon of pepper and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small dish. Pat the beef dry and rub on all sides with the herb mixture. In a heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add the beef and sear until browned on all sides. Remove the beef from the pot.

Add the remaining oil to the pot along with the onions, garlic and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until tender, about 10 minutes. Deglaze by adding the wine and scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the beef stock and return the meat to the pot.

Cover and cook in a 350 degree oven for four hours, turning the beef over halfway through and adding additional stock if needed. When done, remove the roast and allow to rest under aluminum foil. Puree the sauce with a stick blender, regular blender or food processor and return the roast to the pot. The meat will be tender enough to pull apart with a fork. Makes approximately 8 servings depending on the size of the roast......and the proximity of a dog.