Ina Garten's pot roast with baked potato

While I was watching tv yesterday, I noticed that Barefoot Contessa was on the Food Network. She was making pot roast with baked potatoes. Now, I rarely eat pot roast but I couldn't help but continue to watch as I started to develop an appetite for some. Having to go to the grocery store, I decided that pot roast was going to be the night's dinner.

Four things came to realization as and after I made it. One- easy does not mean it's not a life sucker. I was so tired after all the cooking. Two- Ina Garten really likes salt and in the future, I will half the amount she says. Three- sometimes, it's much cheaper to go out and have someone else make it for you (the meat was $20something and the wine was $20something aside from all of the other ingredients). Four- don't start making pot roast at 6PM. It took me about 4 hours when all was said and done.

And on with the cooking...

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. You need a 4-5lb boneless beef chuck roast (tied), salt, pepper, flour, and olive oil. Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Season the roast all over with 1 tablespoon salt (but use half) and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper; and dredge the whole roast in flour.



In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the roast and sear until nicely browned on all sides for about 5 minutes each side. Remove the roast to a large plate.



While the roast is searing, coarsely chop 4 carrots, 2 yellow onions, 4 stalks of celery, and 2-4 leeks. Also, peel and crush 5 cloves of garlic (I added more because, well... garlic is yummy).







Add 2 more tablespoons of olive oil to the Dutch oven and cook all the vegetables, 1 tablespoon of salt (half, really), and 1 1/2 teaspoons of pepper over medium for 10-15 minutes, occasionally stirring.




Now, you will need 2 cups of burgundy wine, 2 tablespoons of brandy, 28oz can of whole tomatoes, 1 cup of chicken stock, 1 bouillon cube, 2 teaspoons of salt (half), 1 teaspoon of pepper, and 3 branches of thyme and 2 branches of rosemary tied.



Add the wine and brandy and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, bouillon cube, salt, pepper, and tied herbs. Put the roast back into the pot, bring to a boil, and cover. Place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender or about 160 degrees F internally. Turn the heat down to 250 degrees F after about an hour to keep the sauce at a simmer.



Here it is out of the oven.



Remove the roast.



Finish off by preparing the sauce. Remove the tied herbs. In a blender or food processor, puree half of the vegetables and liquid. Add it back to the pot with 1 tablespoon of room temperature butter and 2 tablespoons of flour that have been mashed together. Cook for another 2 minutes.







When all is done, slice the roast and top with the sauce.



Per Ina's suggestion, I accompanied the pot roast with a baked potato covered in a yogurt and sour cream topping. The potatoes were baked in a 350 degree oven for about an hour. They were split open and sprinkled with salt and pepper (note: you can leave out the salt). The topping consists of 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon salt (half again), 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and chives mixed together.

Enjoy!