Growing up, we always had pot roast the same way every time – pot roast, carrots and potatoes in a crock pot braised in water and its own juice. While that’s good every once in a while, this is a pot roast recipe that will knock your socks off. In fact, I’m glad the cooler weather is here so I have the excuse to make this pot roast again.
(4 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5)Loading...Pot Roast Smothered in Bacon and Onions
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- One 2 1/2-pound beef chuck roast, tied at 1-inch intervals
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 pounds onions, very thinly sliced
- 12 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 20 whole allspice berries
- 10 black peppercorns
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups dry white wine
- 2 Tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- In a large, enameled cast-iron casserole, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the bacon and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the fat has rendered, about 10 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the roast between the strings into four 1-inch-thick slabs. Season the meat with salt and pepper.
- Working in 2 batches, cook the meat in the casserole over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. Lower the heat to moderate for the second batch if the butter begins to brown too quickly.
- Remove the strings, keeping the steaks intact, if possible.
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Add the onions, garlic, 1/4 cup of the water and 1 teaspoon of salt to the casserole. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the casserole, about 8 minutes.
- Transfer half of the onions to a plate. Stir the remaining tablespoon of butter into the onions in the casserole. Nestle the steaks into the onions, overlapping them slightly if necessary. Add the allspice berries, peppercorns, crushed red pepper and bay leaf and lay half of the reserved bacon over the steaks.
- Spread the remaining onions and bacon on top. Add the wine and the remaining 1 cup of water and bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over moderately high heat for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the casserole to the oven and cook for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 250° and continue braising for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the steaks are very tender.
- Turn the oven off, uncover the casserole and let the meat stand in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve the meat and onions in deep plates; spoon the sauce on top and sprinkle with the parsley.
- Prepare Ahead: The pot roast can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
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I apologize for not responding sooner, Steve – I just saw this comment. I typically use a cast iron Dutch oven for all of my braising. The lid seals on nice and tight to keep all of the moisture inside the pan. I think any pan with a tight-sealing lid will work just fine. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Just made ur recipe. it’s off the charts delicious!!! Perfect cold weather hearty meal. Thanks for sharing. One question though: when referring to the “casserole” you cook it in, what exactly is that? I used a big deep cast iron saucepan with cover and it came out great, but I’d like to do it right next time.