Michael Symons Braised Pot Roast Recipes

MICHAEL SYMON'S BRAISED POT ROAST

Steps:

• Season the roast liberally with salt, about 2 tablespoons, and refrigerate overnight.
• Pull the meat out an hour before cooking to take the chill off of it. In a large Dutch oven, render the bacon until slightly crispy. Remove the bacon and reserve. Dry off the meat with a paper towel and begin to brown it in that same pan for 2 minutes per side - remove and set aside.
• Add the carrots, shallot, and garlic with a pinch of salt and sweat for 4 minutes, or until you get a slight caramelization and the vegetables start to release their aromas. Add the coriander and bay leaves, and continue to sweat for 1 minute.
• Deglaze the pan with the cider, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add the beer, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Add the beef back in, along with the bacon and enough of the stock to cover the roast, approximately 8 Celsius Top with a lid, and place it in a 350 degree oven. Cook for 3-4 hours or until tender. Remove from the oven and skim any excess fat.
• Gently remove the meat to a platter. Spoon the vegetables on top and garnish with the torn mint, and lemon zest.

ROAST WITH ROOT VEGETABLES AND HERBS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Rub the roast with the mustard, then season with the rosemary and some salt and pepper. Put the roast on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Toss the carrots, potatoes, onions and garlic with some oil, salt and pepper and add them to the pan. Continue to roast for 30 minutes.
• Add the chicken stock to the pan and continue to roast to the desired tenderness and temperature, 165 to 190 degrees F for brisket. (See Cook's Note.) If you do racks or a leg of lamb, 135 degrees F and up is desired. For a pork rack or loin, cook to 145 degrees F and up. Remove the roast to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes.
• While the meat is resting, stir the butter into the liquid in the pan with a splash of vinegar. Slice the meat and serve over the vegetables. Top with the sauce.

MOM'S POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Sear the meat all over, about 2 minutes per each side.
• Move the meat to the side (or remove it from the pot altogether if necessary), add the celery, carrot and onion and brown the vegetables, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook for a minute or 2 longer. Add the wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom. Add the tomatoes, water and bay leaves (and the meat if you removed it). Bring the liquid to a simmer and taste for seasoning. Add more salt if necessary. Cover the pot and bake, basting the meat occasionally, until tender, about 3 hours.
• About 20 minutes before the meat is tender, bring a pot of water to a boil and salt liberally. Add the shells, give it a stir and cook until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta.
• To serve, you can pull the meat apart with a couple of forks right in the pot at the table. Serve with the pasta, plenty of sauce and vegetables, tossing them all together.

BRISKET

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a large enameled cast iron casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season the brisket with salt and pepper. Add half of the brisket to the casserole and cook over medium-high heat, turning on all sides until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer the brisket to a plate. Repeat with the remaining oil and remaining brisket. Add the celery, carrot, onion, and chile to the casserole and cook over medium heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until glossy, about 2 minutes. Add the thyme sprigs, anchovies, bay leaf, and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the stock, wine, and vinegar and bring to a boil. Return the brisket to the casserole, cover and braise for 1 hour. Drop the heat to 225 degrees F and cook 4 more hours or until meat is tender.

BRAISED SUNDAY POT ROAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a casserole large enough to hold the meat, heat the butter. When foaming subsides add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes or until they take on some color. With a slotted spoon remove them and reserve for later.
• Add the oil to the casserole and heat over high heat. Add the beef and brown the meat on all sides; this should take 15 minutes to get a deep golden color. Return the vegetables to the casserole, stuffing them underneath the meat. Add the garlic, tomatoes, bouquet garni. Heat the casserole until you hear it sizzle, drape the meat loosely with aluminum foil, cover the casserole tightly and place it in the lower third of the oven.
• Cook for 1 hour, turn the meat over, lower the heat to 325 and continue to cook until the beef is tender, another 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the meat to a platter. Strain cooking juices into a saucepan, pressing down hard on the vegetables to extract their liquid. Let liquid settle for a minute, then skim off surface fat. Heat the liquid and reduce slightly; adjust seasoning. Slice the roast and spoon the gravy over the top. Serve with braised carrots and boiled parslied potatoes (make extra for cold potato salad and beef salad next day).

ITALIAN BRAISED BEEF WITH ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• For Yia Yia's Sunday sauce: Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan or large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the beef bones. Add the onions and cook until translucent, 2 minutes. Add the salt and garlic and cook until everything is soft but not browned, about 3 minutes. Squeeze the tomatoes one by one into the pan, pulverizing them by hand, and pour in their juice, too. Add the wine, oregano, red pepper flakes, if using, black pepper and bay leaf. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and then reduce the heat to its lowest possible setting, and continue to cook for 8 hours. The sauce should reduce by about one-third. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Remove the bones and bay leaf. Set aside 2 cups. If not using the remaining sauce right away, let it cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months. Yield: 8 cups.
• For the braised beef with root vegetables: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Sprinkle the meat liberally with salt and pepper as much as 1 day in advance. (Cover and refrigerate it if doing so and take the meat out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.) Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. When the oil is on the verge of smoking, sear the meat for about 2 minutes per side. Move the meat to the side (or remove it from the pot altogether if necessary), and add the carrots, celery root and onions. Brown the vegetables for about 3 minutes, and then add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pot, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom. Add Yia Yia's Sunday Sauce, 1 cup water and the bay leaves (and the pot roast if you removed it). Bring the liquid to a simmer and taste for seasoning. Add more salt if necessary. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 3 hours, basting the meat occasionally during cooking time. When almost ready to serve, make the rigatoni, if using. Boil in salted water according to package directions until al dente. Discard the bay leaves before serving. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and slice into bite-size pieces, or shred with 2 forks. Return the meat to the pot of sauce along with the drained rigatoni. Toss to coat, and serve.