Perfect Pot Roast With Bouquet Garni Recipes

SIMPLE POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place potatoes (and turnips, if using) in a large roasting pan, and toss with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast until golden brown and crisp, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove pan from oven; set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• Lay parsley, thyme, and bay leaf on a piece of cheesecloth. Bundle and tie with kitchen twine; set aside. Cut leeks in half lengthwise, making sure not to cut through the root. Rinse well under cold running water to remove any dirt. Cut the leeks crosswise into 1-inch half moons; set aside.
• Combine flour, remaining teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, paprika, and allspice in a small bowl. Place beef on a work surface, and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle flour mixture over meat, and pat to coat well.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in large Dutch oven (about 7 quarts) over medium heat until hot, but not smoking. Sear roast on all sides until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Add leeks and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are just softened, about 3 minutes. Add wine, and deglaze pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil; cook until most of the wine has evaporated. Add beef stock, tomato paste, bouquet garni, and reserved roast. Cover, and place in oven for 30 minutes. Turn the roast over, and cook for 30 minutes more.
• Add carrots, cover, and return to oven for 1 1/2 hours, turning the roast over every 30 minutes.
• Add roasted potatoes and turnips to pan, submerging them halfway in the liquid. (This leaves the vegetables tender and crisp.) Place in oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes more to let some of the liquid evaporate. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
• Transfer meat to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes. Discard string, and slice meat. Serve with vegetables and sauce on the side.

SUPER DELUXE POT ROAST

Steps:

• Make small slits in top of roast. Insert a garlic slice into each slit, this and the kitchen bouquet is what is responsible for so much of the flavor. Rub roast with salt and pepper and use the 1/2 teaspoon of kitchen bouquet (a browning aid found near marinades in the grocery store) by pouring a little in the palm of your hand and gently patting it all over the roast. Be careful, a little of this goes a long way. Dredge in flour. Brown roast on all sides in dutch oven with hot oil. Add onion and wine.
• While this browns and the onions saute, combine tomato sauce and next five ingredients, stir well and then pour over roast. Pour in beef broth, stir well and bring to a boil. Place tied herbs in broth, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours without lifting lid. After two hours turn roast and cook another 30-45 minutes. Add potatoes and vegetables (I always put in turnips too b/c I like them and have added everything from broccoli to cauliflower, mushrooms and bell peppers) Simmer one more hour or until roast and vegetable are tender to your liking.

BRAISED SUNDAY POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a casserole large enough to hold the meat, heat the butter. When foaming subsides add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes or until they take on some color. With a slotted spoon remove them and reserve for later.
• Add the oil to the casserole and heat over high heat. Add the beef and brown the meat on all sides; this should take 15 minutes to get a deep golden color. Return the vegetables to the casserole, stuffing them underneath the meat. Add the garlic, tomatoes, bouquet garni. Heat the casserole until you hear it sizzle, drape the meat loosely with aluminum foil, cover the casserole tightly and place it in the lower third of the oven.
• Cook for 1 hour, turn the meat over, lower the heat to 325 and continue to cook until the beef is tender, another 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the meat to a platter. Strain cooking juices into a saucepan, pressing down hard on the vegetables to extract their liquid. Let liquid settle for a minute, then skim off surface fat. Heat the liquid and reduce slightly; adjust seasoning. Slice the roast and spoon the gravy over the top. Serve with braised carrots and boiled parslied potatoes (make extra for cold potato salad and beef salad next day).