Ingredients

The following ingredients have 7 Servings
  • 4 pounds meaty chuck roast
  • well trimmed (about 3 to 3 ½ inches thick)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter (½ stick)
  • cut into pieces
  • 2 red or yellow onions
  • root intact
  • cut into wedges
  • 3 ribs celery with leafy tops
  • thick cut on the bias
  • 2 parsnips
  • thick cut on the bias (1 pound each)
  • 4 medium carrots
  • thick cut on the bias (1 pound each)
  • 2 bulbs garlic
  • ends cut off to expose cloves
  • 4 generous sprigs of rosemary
  • 2 large fresh bay leaves
  • 1 small bundle of fresh thyme
  • fresh flat leaf parsley
  • and carrot tops
  • tied with kitchen string
  • 10 to 12 juniper berries (I use 12)
  • ½ cup sun-dried tomato paste or tomato paste
  • (about 1 tube)
  • ½ bottle Italian red wine
  • such as Rosso di Montalcino
  • 3 cups beef stock (try my Stock-In-A-Box)
  • Charred bread or roasted potato wedges with olive oil and rosemary
  • crushed garlic and salt (for serving)

Instruction

  • Preheat the oven to 325˚F
  • Position oven rack in center of oven or one rung below if necessary for your pot
  • Bring the roast to room temperature
  • In a large dutch oven or a heavy braising pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil
  • Pat the meat dry and season with salt and pepper
  • Brown the meat on both sides and the edges - this will take about 10 minutes - and remove the meat to a platter or pan
  • Add the butter to the pot and melt it
  • When it foams, add the onions, celery, parsnips, carrots, garlic bulbs, rosemary, and bay leaves
  • Season with salt and pepper
  • Add the herb bundle and juniper berries
  • Reduce the heat to medium and partially cover the pot
  • Cook for 12 to 15 minutes to soften the vegetables, stirring occasionally
  • Stir in tomato paste, then add the wine and bring to a bubble
  • Scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot and add the beef back
  • Add stock (try Rach's Stock-In-A-Box) enough to just come up to meat’s edge
  • Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place in oven
  • Roast for 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours, until the meat is tender
  • Remove the pot roast to carving board and let it rest for 15 minutes
  • Then slice the meat against the grain
  • Remove and discard the bay leaves, herb bundle, garlic skins, and rosemary stems
  • Serve the sliced meat on a platter or in a shallow bowl with vegetables alongside
  • Use the charred bread or roasted potatoes for mopping the sauce