Bon Appétite

It is cold and grey outside. Start a nice warm fire, pour a glass of red wine, invite some friends over and have this wonderful winter dish that is definitely guest-worthy. Enjoy!

Source: inhonorofdesign.blogspot.com via Chateau À Gogo on Pinterest

French Pot Roast Recipe
Cook time: 4 hours

Serve with twice baked potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts and dessert of your choice. The key is using a French oven such as Le Creuset.

Ingredients

3 1/2 lb of beef shoulder or boneless chuck roast (look for a piece that is well marbled with fat for best results)
2 Tbsp olive or grapeseed oil
Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning to taste
2 large yellow onions, thickly sliced, lengthwise (root to tip), about 4 cups sliced onion
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 cup of red wine
1 bay leaf
Several carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise

Method

1. Use a thick-bottomed covered pot (oven-proof if you intend to cook in oven), such as a dutch oven, just large enough to hold roast and vegetables. Heat 2 Tbsp of oil on medium high heat (hot enough to sear the meat). Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Sprinkle and rub salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning all over the meat. Brown roast in pot, all over, several minutes on each side. Don't move the roast while a side is browning, or it won't brown well.

2. When roast is browned, remove from pan and set on a plate. Add the onions to the pan and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, until they begin to brown. Add the garlic and carrots to sit on top of the onions. Set the roast on top of the onions, garlic and carrots. Add 1/2 cup of red wine. Add the bay leaf. Cover. Bring to simmer and then adjust the heat down to the lowest heat possible to maintain a low simmer when covered (we cook our roast on the warm setting of our electric range)*. If cooking in the oven, start the temp at 300°F for 15 minutes, then drop it to 200°F.

3. Cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, or longer, until meat is tender. (If you are using a pressure cooker, cut the time by half). After cooking 3 1/2 hours. Note how much liquid has been released by the meat. This comes from slow cooking at a very low temperature. If your pot roast is too dry, make sure the pan you are using has a tight fitting lid and that you are cooking at the lowest possible heat to maintain the low simmering.

Yield: Serves 4-5.