My kitchen smells like an Italian villa along the Mediterranean today! I've had this amazing concoction of beef and vegetables slow-roasting in the oven for several hours and the smells are intoxicating. In fact, my husband has declared he is ready for me to quit my day job because he so enjoys the leisurely meals I've been serving up for lunch this week.
The tastiness of this dish is due in large part to the Clos du Bois Chardonnay I splashed into the cast iron skillet to mix with the pan drippings after the meat was browned. I have recently started cooking with wine and it has opened up a whole new palette of taste for me! You're only now cooking with wine, you ask? Well, I grew up in a Mennonite home where alcohol was taboo and even the thought of adding some vino to the pot roast would have been scandalous. So, if you want an explosion of Italian flavor on your taste buds, open up a bottle of Chardonnay and start cooking this dish.
Wine-Simmered Beef and Vegetables
(adapted from Great American Favorite Brand Name Cookbook)
2-pound English Roast (or similar)
Flour
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 medium onion, thinly sliced, rings separated
3 large carrots, peeled
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3/4 - 1 cup dry, white wine
1 - 1 1/2 cups beef broth
Rinse roast under cold water. Pat dry. In a plastic bag, mix approximately 4 tablespoons flour salt and freshly ground pepper. Shake roast in bag to coat. In a cast iron skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Drop roast into skillet and fry on both sides until browned. Transfer roast to a Dutch Oven. Top with rings of onion and the carrots.
To the pan drippings, add the wine, herbs and broth and stir until boiling. Pour over the pot roast. Cover with lid and bake in a 350 degree oven for three hours.
I served this with roasted redskins and sweet potatoes drizzled with olive oil and Herbes de Provence which I put in the oven to bake alongside the roast for the last 45 minutes of baking.
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