What I love about a simple pot roast is that you can usually pick up all the ingredients at your local farmers market. It’s a meal that most of the community has contributed to.
Our pot roast features meat from our ranching friends Tim and Keely Jefferies, vegetables from our farm and neighboring farms, and wine from a local winemaker. When [my husband] Taylor and I sit down to this humble meal, we feel the company of the familiar faces and voices of everyone who has contributed to our dinner.
Localize It: Any root vegetables will work here—beets, sweet potatoes, rutabagas, turnips, or celery root.
Serves 4 to 6
- 2 tablespoons cooking fat
- 1 (3-pound) bone-in chuck roast, trimmed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 cup dry red wine (like a Cabernet or Pinot Noir)
- 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 parsnips, cut into 1-inch pieces (no need to peel)
- 2 pounds potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottom lidded pot, heat the cooking fat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chuck roast with the salt and pepper. Add the roast to the pot; cook for about 5 minutes, turning it to brown it on all sides. Remove the roast to a plate and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onions and thyme to the pot. Sauté until they are translucent and beginning to soften, about 8 minutes.
Return the roast to the pot. Add the red wine, garlic, beef broth, and bay leaves; bring the mixture to a simmer.
Place the lid on the pot and transfer it to the oven. Cook for 1 1/2 hours or until the roast is almost tender.
Add the carrots, parsnips, and potatoes to the pot. Cover and bake for an additional hour or until tender. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Shred the meat using two forks.
Serve the roast over the vegetables, drizzled with the cooking liquid.
Excerpted from the book “Local Dirt” by Andrea Bemis. Copyright 2020 by Andrea Bemis. Published on October 13, 2020 by Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Reprinted by permission.