Dutch Oven Pot Roast for the Supper Table

Set out shoulder roast, all-purpose flour, and freshly ground pepper before you start Dutch Oven Pot Roast for the Supper Table. The batch is written for 8 people.

Count on 28 minutes of prep, 3 hours of cooking, about 3 hours from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

• 3 pound shoulder roast
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup pearl onions peeled (see note)
• 6 whole garlic cloves
• 4 carrots cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 cups small yellow or red potatoes halved [use more if they fit!]
• 10 oz mushrooms quartered (I used a mix of button and baby portabellas)
• 8 sprigs of thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, about 4 inches long
• 4 sprigs oregano
• 1 large bay leaf
• 3 ½ cups beef broth
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

How the cooking goes

1. Warm the oven to 325°F. Whisk together flour, salt and pepper.
2. Pat your roast with paper towels to make sure it's dry. Sprinkle with flour/salt/pepper mixture, rubbing it to evenly coat.
3. Warm a Dutch oven over a moderate flame until it is hot. Add the butter and olive oil to the pot and stir until butter is melted.
4. Brown the roast on all 4 sides. Add onions, garlic, potatoes and carrots, and herbs to the pot. Pour in wine and beef broth, deglaze the pot, and heat it until it boils.
5. Cover the pot then bake in a preheated oven for 3 hours, turning the roast after 1 ½ hours.
6. About 10 minutes before the roast is done, sauté the mushrooms in 1 tablespoon olive oil in an oven-safe pan until they are browned. Take it off the heat and keep it to one side.
7. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and turn the oven off. Transfer the meat and vegetables to the pan with the mushrooms; tent with foil; and place in the oven to rest.
8. Set the Dutch oven over a lively flame and boil until reduced by half.
9. In a small bowl combine cornstarch with several tablespoons of braising liquid (you don’t need to be precise here), whisking until cornstarch is dissolved. Add the cornstarch mixture to the Dutch oven and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
10. Slice roast and serve with sauce and vegetables!

After it comes off the heat

Cool the pot before it goes into the refrigerator. It reheats gently on the stove the next day.

If you want another plate from Beef, open Rosemary Rubbed Rib-eye with Charred Red Onions for the Home Table and Healthy Beef Stroganoff for a Hot Skillet.