Not Your Mother's Pot Roast Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 pound bacon
• 5 pounds chuck roast (have butcher cut into 1-pound portions and net or tie with butcher's twine)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1-1/2 cups chopped carrot
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 quart water
• 2 (12-ounce) bottles Guinness Stout
• 2 (12-ounce) bottles high quality lager (such as Beck's or Samuel Adams)
• 1/8 cup beef bouillon granules or paste
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 6 sprigs fresh sage
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 sprigs fresh parsley
• Blanching Vegetables:
• 1-1/2 pounds turnips, cut in large dice
• 1-1/2 pounds carrots, cut in large dice
• 1-1/2 pounds rutabagas, cut in large dice
• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into large dice
• Garnish: Fresh rosemary, thyme and sage sprigs

Preparation:

Cook bacon over medium heat in large oven-proof pot until fat has rendered, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove bacon, chop and set aside.

In a separate pan, brown roast on all sides in the vegetable oil.

To the rendered bacon fat in the pan add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook until wilted and lightly browned. To the cooked vegetables, add water, beers, bouillon, mustard, molasses, sage, thyme, and parsley. Bring to a boil and place meat in pot with vegetables. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit over the pot and place it on top of mixture. Cover pan tightly with foil.

Roast in oven at 375 degrees F. for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Allow to cool then skim fat. Remove roast and set aside. Simmer vegetables in cooking liquid until crisp tender.

Garnish and serve with horseradish sauce.

Yield: 5 servings

Source: Craig's An American Bistro, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA
Reprinted with permission.