YANKEE POT ROAST

Designed to be economical, our Yankee Pot Roast relies on underused cuts of beef surrounded by whatever vegetables are in season. We like using a well-marbled chuck roll, though you should trim off the extra fat on the outside. You can’t rush this dish; it takes about 5 hours to prep and cook, but if done right, you can eat it with a spoon. It’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Just ask Chef Rahm Fama, who featured it on his Food Network show, Meat & Potatoes. He couldn’t get enough of it, and you won’t either. Learn more about Founding Farmers, get our Cookbook, or make reservations. 

Ingredients

POT ROAST BASE

4 to 5 pounds beef chuck

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon celery salt

1/2 cup canola or olive oil

6 cups chopped yellow onions

3 cups chopped carrots

4 cups chopped celery

10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

4 cups beef broth

1/4 cup beef base

1 bay leaf

1 cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves

ROUX 

3/4 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

POT ROAST VEGETABLES

1 medium golden beet, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into large chunks

Kosher Salt

1/2 cups diced carrots, diced to 1 1/2 inches

2 1/2 cups diced celery, diced to 1 1/2 inches

1/2 bunch asparagus, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

4 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

Ground black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Fried Onion (Optional)

1 cup canola or vegetable oil, for frying

1 medium yellow onion, cut into ¹⁄8-inch slices

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 275°F. Season the beef on both sides with the salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and celery salt. Heat the canola oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with a lid over high heat. When hot, place the beef in the pot and brown well, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Lift the beef out of the pot and reserve, keeping the pot with the beef drippings over medium heat. Place the onions in the pot and sauté until caramelized. Add the carrots, celery, and sliced garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the beef broth, beef base, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, rosemary, and thyme. Return the beef to the pot and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pot and place in the oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, until fork tender. 

While the pot roast cooks, prepare a roux. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium-low heat and whisk in the flour. Continue to whisk, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the flour  mixture becomes a pale brown color and smells toasted and nutty, 10  to 12 minutes. Scrape the roux out of the pan with a rubber spatula and reserve. 

Place the beet and sweet potato chunks on a baking sheet and roast in the oven (with the pot roast) for 45 minutes, or until tender. Fill a large pot with water and a generous pinch of kosher salt and bring to a boil.  Working in batches, blanch the carrots, celery, asparagus, and green beans until each vegetable is just tender and cooked through. Drain and cool in an ice bath (half ice cubes and half water in a large bowl). Drain from the ice bath and set aside. When the pot roast is tender and finished cooking, remove the pot from the oven, gently remove the beef from the pot, and transfer it to a large plate while you prepare the sauce. 

Carefully place the pot roast pot on a burner over medium heat. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf from the pot. Bring the liquid to a boil. Puree the liquid until smooth with a stick blender. Add the roux and puree until smooth. Simmer for 20 minutes and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the pot roast in the sauce along with the roasted beet and sweet potato chunks and the blanched vegetables and heat through. Stir 2 tablespoons of butter into the sauce. Break the beef up into large chunks with a metal spoon. Keep warm. 

To fry the onion, if using, heat the oil in a medium, high-sided saucepan until ripples appear on the surface. Toss the onion with the flour, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper in a medium bowl. Fry the onion until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. 

To serve, place a mound of the mashed potatoes in the center of each plate, then spoon portions of the beef, vegetables, and sauce over the top. Top each plate with a few fried onions, if using, and serve immediately.