roast, rice & gravy
Photo and recipe courtesy of The Defined Dish.
Directions
prepare the roast:
Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper, rubbing it in to adhere. Sprinkle the flour over the raost and rub in evenly to coat all sides.
Heat the olive oil in a braiser or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add in the roast and sear undisturbed until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Remove the roast from the pan when all sides have been browned and discard the excess fat. Return the roast to the pan.
Braise the roast:
Reduce the heat to medium and pour in the red wine, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add in just enough beef broth so that the liquid reaches half way up the sides of the roast. The amount needed will vary depending on the size of your pot. Typically 2 cups of broth is needed.
Tie the rosemary and thyme togther with kitchen twine to create an herb bouquet, then submerge it in the liquid. Add in the bay leaves and the whole head of garlic. Bring the mixture to a steady simmer, not boiling, over medium-low heat.
Cover and cook until the roast is fall-apart tender, usually about 3.5-4 hours. Check on the roast every hour, adding more broth if needed to keep it at least half way submerged.
make the gravy:
Once the roast is tender, transfer to a sheet pan and set aside.
Place a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl and strain the cooking liquid, discarding the herbs and garlic. Return the strained liquid to the pot over medium heat.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup beef broth and 3 tablespoons of flour until a thin paste forms. This will get your gravy nice and thick.
While whisking, slowly pour the slurry into the pot, stirring continuously. Simmer, whisking frequently, until the gravy thickens. Usually about 5-8 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Reduce the heat to low, cover and keep warm.
shred the roast:
Using two forks, shred the roast into large chucks, discarding any fatty or tough pieces.
assemble:
Add the butter to the warm, prepared rice and fluff with a fork.
Spoon rice into shallow bowls, top with shredded roast, and generously ladle gravy over the top. Finish with freshly cracked pepper and fresh thyme or parsley if desired.
Ingredients
For the roast:
3-3.5lb boneless chuck roast
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 T all-purpose flour
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups of beef broth plus more as needed
8 springs of thyme
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 whole head of garlic with top sliced off to expose cloves
For the gravy:
1/4 cup beef broth
3 T all-purpose flour
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Kosher salt to taste
For serving:
2 cups prepared white rice
2 T salted butter
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh thyme or parsley leaves optional for serving
