French Style Pot Roast Recipes

POT-ROAST BEEF WITH FRENCH ONION GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Rub the meat with 1 tsp of the oil and plenty of seasoning. Heat a large flameproof casserole dish and brown the meat all over for about 10 mins. Meanwhile, add 2 tsp oil to a frying pan and fry the carrots and celery for 10 mins until turning golden.
• Lift the beef onto a plate, splash the wine into the hot casserole and boil for 2 mins. Pour in the stock, return the beef, then tuck in the carrots, celery and bay leaves, trying not to submerge the carrots too much. Cover and cook in the oven for 2 hrs. (I like to turn the beef halfway through cooking.)
• Meanwhile, thinly slice the onions. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and stir in the onions, thyme and some seasoning. Cover and cook gently for 20 mins until the onions are softened but not coloured. Remove the lid, turn up the heat, add the butter and sugar, then let the onions caramelise to a dark golden brown, stirring often. Remove the thyme sprigs, then set aside.
• When the beef is ready, it will be tender and easy to pull apart at the edges. Remove it from the casserole and snip off the strings. Reheat the onion pan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 min. Whisk the floury onions into the beefy juices in the casserole, to make a thick onion gravy. Taste for seasoning. Add the beef and carrots back to the casserole, or slice the beef and bring to the table on a platter, with the carrots to the side and the gravy spooned over.

FRENCH POT ROAST

Steps:

• Mix soup, thyme and wine together.
• Pour over roast in a dutch oven.
• Add mushrooms.
• Cover and cook over medium low heat for 2 hours.
• When roast is done to taste, remove from pan.
• Mix cornstarch with cold water in a glass.
• Turn heat up under pan juices to high.
• Bring to a boil, then slowly add cornstarch mixture while stirring constantly.
• Bring back to a boil and cook for 3 minutes.
• Slice meat and serve with the mushroom gravy.

FRENCH-STYLE POT ROAST

Steps:

• Season meat with kosher salt. Place on wire rack in rimmed baking sheet, and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, bring wine to simmer in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes. Using kitchen twine, tie parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves into bundle.
• Pat beef dry with paper towels and season generously with pepper. Tie three pieces of kitchen twine around each piece of meat to keep it from falling apart.
• Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 300°F Cook bacon in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 6-8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper-towel lined plate and reserve. Pour off all but 2 tbsp of bacon fat; return Dutch oven to medium-high heat and heat until fat begins to smoke. Add beef to pat and brown on all sides, 8-10 minutes total. Transfer beef to large plate and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium; add onion and cook,, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, 2-4 minutes. Add garlic, flour, and reserved bacon; cook stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add reduced wine, broth, and herb bundles, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Return roast and any accumulated juices to pot; increase heat to high and bring liquid to simmer, then place large sheet of foil over pot and cover tightly with lid. Set pot in oven and cook, using tongs to turn beef every hour, until dinner fork slips easily in and out of meat, 2 1/2 -3 hours, adding carrots to pot after 2 hours.
• While meat cooks, bring pearl onions, butter, sugar and 1/2 cup water to boil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until onions are tender, 5-8 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high heat, and cook until all liquid evaporates, 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoons table salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned and glazed 8-12 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Place remaining 1/4 cup cold water in small bowl and sprinkle gelatin on top.
• Transfer beef to cutting board; tent with foil to keep warm. Allow braising liquid to settle for about 5 minutes, then using wide shallow spoon, skim fat off surface. Remove herb bundle and stir in onion-mushroom mixture. Bring liquid to simmer over medium-high heat and cook until mixture is slightly thickened and reduced to 3 1/4 cups, 20-30 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Add softened gelatin and stir until completely dissolved.
• Remove kitchen twine from meat and discard. Using chef's or carving knife, cut meat against grain into 1/2" thick slices. Divide meat among warmed bowls or transfer to platter; arrange vegetables around meat, pour sauce on top, and sprinkle with minced parsley. Serve immediately.
• To make ahead: Follow recipe to point where gelatine is sprinkled on top of cold water. OMIT THIS STEP. Place the meat back into reduced sauce, cool it to room temperature, cover it, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. To serve slice the beef and arrange it in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Bring the sauce to a simmer and stir in the gelatin until completely dissolved. Pour the war m sauce over the meat, cover it with aluminum foil and bake it in a 350°F oven until heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve with boiled potatoes, buttered noodles or steamed rice.