ITALIAN POT ROAST

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There’s nothing better than slow braised beef on a cold winter’s night.  Add a little sausage, parmesan cheese and basil and you’ve got a delicious Italian version of pot roast.  Serve with my Balsamic glazed Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes.

Directions

1 (3-4 lb) bottom round roast
Kosher salt and pepper
¼ cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 hot Italian sausage link, casing removed
2 cups carrots, finely diced
1 cup celery, finely diced
1 cup leeks, white parts only, finely sliced
1 cup brown button mushrooms, finely diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 cups Italian red wine
1 (28 oz) can San Marzano Tomatoes, crushed with your hands
1 cup unsalted beef stock
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped fine
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine
2 bay leaves
1 parmesan cheese rind, cut from end of cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Pat the beef dry with a paper towel.  Season the beef with kosher salt and pepper on all sides.  Dredge the whole roast in flour, including the ends.  Heat a Dutch oven to medium heat and add the olive oil.  Sear the roast on all sides until nicely browned.  Remove the roast and set on a platter.

Add the sausage to the pan and break up with the back of a wooden spoon.  Sauté for about 3 minutes or until lightly browned.  Add the carrots, celery, leeks, and mushrooms and cook until nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, garlic and dried basil and cook for 1 minute.  Pour in the wine, crushed tomatoes, beef stock, thyme and rosemary, bay leaves and parmesan rind and mix well.  Place the beef back in the Dutch oven and spoon the sauce on top.  Put the top on the Dutch oven and cook in the oven for about 3 hours or until the beef is fork tender.

Remove the beef from the oven.  Take the pot roast out of the Dutch oven and place on a platter.  Cover the pot roast with aluminum foil to keep warm.  Remove the bay leaves and cheese rind.  Skim off any grease. Using a hand held processor, puree the sauce in the Dutch oven slightly so that the sauce is smoother but small pieces of vegetables are still visible.

Serve the pot roast on a platter and spoon the sauce on top.

SkinnyTip!  Instead of sautéing the beef in olive oil, lightly spray the bottom of a non-stick pan with olive oil spray.  You will save a ton of calories.