Let's toast to roast!

Things run a little differently in my house.  With my husbands work schedule, our weekend starts a little later than most. Monday nights are when we have our big family dinner. The weather was a perfect example of a beautiful yet brisk fall day. I knew that comfort food would be just the thing to warm us up inside.  On the menu was a pot roast with porcini mushrooms and to go alongside, herb and cheese polenta…made from scratch. Italian comfort food at it’s finest! The recipe I had serves 8-10 but I knew that would be too much for us…so I cut the recipe in half and had plenty for dinner and leftovers the next day, yum!

I started out with a 2 1/2 lb boneless beef chuck roast. While the oven was preheating at 350 degrees, I patted the beef dry with a paper towel, to make sure all the extra juices were removed. I gave it a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper before I gently placed it into 1 tbsp of olive oil that had been heating over medium high heat. The beef sizzled happily as it hit the oil and for the next 10 minutes I made sure that it was nicely browned on all sides, making sure not to rush this process, since this is what gives the beef such a deep flavor in the end. Once the beef was nicely browned, I transferred it to a bowl to rest. I reduced the heat to medium and added 1 finely chopped onion to the pan to saute until tender, while scraping up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan in the process. After the onions had become nice and tender, about 3 minutes, I added 5 cloves of coarsely chopped garlic to the onions. After about 1 minute, I added 1/2 a cup of dry red wine and let it come to a nice boil for about 1 minute. Once the wine, garlic and onions had come to a beautiful bubble, I added 3/4 cup of low sodium beef broth as well as a few dried porcini mushrooms. I gently lowered the beef back into the pot of the bubbling fragrant liquid and covered it. (this is the point where if you do not have an oven safe pot or dutch oven, you may transfer the beef and liquid to a baking dish and seal tightly with aluminum foil) I placed the covered dish into the oven  and left it to become beautifully braised and fork tender. After about 1 hour, I made sure to turn the roast over and ladle some of the liquid over the top of, just for added flavor. Once I popped it back in the oven for the last 35 minutes, I set to work on my side dish…herb and cheese polenta. Polenta is to the Italians what mashed potatoes are to us Americans. They serve it alongside any type of roast, meat or poultry. The herbs just added a little bit of class to these to make them extra “fancy”.

The recipe again said it would serve 8-10, so you can adjust it accordingly for your family’s needs.

I started by bringing the water to a boil in a large pot. After liberally salting the water, I gradually whisked in the yellow cornmeal. I then reduced the heat to low and cooked the mixture, making sure to stir often, until it was thick and the cornmeal became nice and tender. After about 12 minutes I removed it from the heat and added the freshly grated parmesan cheese, milk, butter and herbs. After a dash of pepper, I stirred until the cheese and butter and melted into the velvety polenta. By the time I was done with this, the roast had been pulled from the oven and was resting in its own juices. I transferred the succulent roast to a cutting board and sliced it against the grain into 1/2″ thick slices. I scooped a nice serving of polenta into the center of the plate, making a creamy and delicious bed for the roast to set on. I placed a few slices of the beef on the polenta and then drizzled yummy sauce right over the top of it all. My mouth was watering…it smelled and looked amazing! We all sat down and indulged in the fine art of comfort food…Italian style. A perfect end to a perfect day!

Happy Cooking

Pot Roast with Porcini Mushrooms
(adapted from Giada’s Family Dinners, page 174)

Serves 8-10 (adjust accordingly)

1 (5lb) boneless beef chuck roast
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions chopped
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 cup dry red wine
1 3/4 cups low sodium beef broth
1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1 large sprig fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 350. Pat beef dry with paper towel and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy, 6 quart pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the beef and cook until browned on all sides, 10-12 minutes. (Be careful not to rush this step, it is what creates such a deep flavor in the finished dish) Transfer the beef to a bowl.
Reduce heat to medium. Add the onions to the same pan and saute until tender, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the wine and boil for 1 minute. Stir in the broth and mushrooms. Return beef to the pan and bring the liquids to a boil. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Braise beef until it is fork tender, about 3 hours, turning the beef over halfway through.
Transfer the beef to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let it stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, spoon any excess fat off of the pan juices. Transfer the pan juices and vegetables to a blender and puree until smooth. In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine the sauce and rosemary sprig. Bring to a boil, then season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
Cut the beef across the grain into 1/2″ thick slices. Spoon remaining sauce over beef and serve.

Herbed Cheese Polenta
(Giada’s Family Dinners page 67)

Serves 8-10 (adjust accordingly)

9 cups water
1 tbsp salt
2 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal or polenta
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups whole milk
10 tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Bring the water to a boil in a large heavy pot. Add the salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the cheese, milk, butter, herbs and pepper. Stir until the butter and cheese melt. Transfer to bowl and serve.