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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Yankee Girl's Pot Roast

Today is our first cool Fall day here in North Texas-woohoo! I made this meal a couple Sundays ago and it is the ideal Fall Family Dinner. If you don't have a couple hours to braise a roast during the week, you can also do it the night before and have it reheated the next night. Believe it or not, the leftovers are even better than the first time.

2-3 lb beef roast
MDP's seasoning
vegetable oil
1 large onion (about 3")
3 large celery stalks (about 10" long w/ leafy tops)
3 large garlic cloves (about 1")
3 large carrots (about 1" diameter, 8" long)
1 bay leaf
2 cups beef broth
1 cup red wine
1 TBSP dijon mustard
2 large potatoes (about 2" diameter, 4" long)
1 cup butternut squash, cut into 1/2" cubes)

Sprinkle roast with MDP's seasoning and rub into all surfaces. Heat a roasting pan or large dutch oven (that can go in oven) on high heat. Add 1 TBSP oil to pan and add roast once oil begins to ripple. Let meat sit about 5 minutes until deep brown and carmelized. If pan gets too hot, reduce heat to medium. Repeat until all sides are browned. Remove meat from pan.

Add another TBSP of oil to pan if needed to cook vegetables. Add vegetables and bay leaf and cook about 5 minutes until brown and translucent. Remove vegetables from pan.

Add beef broth, wine, and mustard. Whisk well to deglaze the pan (remove all the brown bits off the bottom). Add the meat back to the pan and cover with vegetables.

Cover tightly and cook 90 minutes at 325 degrees. Remove from oven and spoon juices over meat and vegetables, then take out as much of the juices as you can.Thin slice potatoes (I use a mandoline) and spread around the meat. Scatter butternut squash cubes over the potatoes. Pour juices over everything. Recover and cook another 90 minutes.

Remove from oven and let sit at least 15 minutes. Remove meat from pan and cut into 1/4" slices. Return to pan and spoon juices over the meat. Serve with vegetables and a roll, biscuit, or crusty bread to sop the juices.

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