Recipe courtesy of Wendy Taggart, Burgundy Pasture Beef This is the classic braising cut – juicy, tender and flavorful with lots of nutrition. Braising means long slow cooking with the moisture held in. Two rules followed that will always yield good results, don’t cook at a high temperature (generally always below 300 degrees), and make sure the meat has ample protection from moisture escaping. This can be done on a cook top, in an oven, on a smoker, or in a crock-pot.
PREPARE THE ROAST TO COOK
Your roast is vacuum seal packaged, giving the best protection for freezer or chilled storage. If desired, to speed up the thawing process – place the roast, still in packaging, in a bowl of tepid water. Remove the thawed roast from vacuum seal bag – and pat dry. LIBERALLY rub seasoning all over the roast. Although not essential, it is nice if the roast can stand at room temperature with the seasoning rub 30 minutes to 1 hour.
BASIC SEASONING RUB
Coarse Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Dried or Fresh Herbs: Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme
Garlic – powdered or fresh finely chopped
COOKWARE
We recommend stainless steel or cast iron – they conduct and hold heat the best. If possible use pans that can go from the cook top to the oven – then there is no need to use more than one pan.
BROWN THE ROAST
Warm over medium high heat a Dutch oven or deep frying pan. When hot, add 1 TBSP oil. Add the roast. The roast should have a good “sizzle” but should not be too hot. Brown about 7-9 minutes per side until roast has a rich brown crust on each side. Remove roast to platter. Add to hot pan – 1 cup chopped onion and ¾ chopped celery (and more oil if necessary). Sauté vegetables until soft. Add ½ cup red wine (a drinking wine, not a “cooking” wine) or beef stock or water. Stir and scrape the browned bits from the pan into the liquid. Boil and reduce the liquid by about ½ in volume. Add the roast back to the pan. (If using a crock-pot, place the roast in the crock-pot and pour liquid with vegetables over the roast – making sure to completely deglaze the pan).
BRAISE THE ROAST
Place a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil over the pan top. This creates a tighter seal holding the moisture in. If the pan is very deep, like a Dutch oven, use a larger piece to dip it down closer to the meat running it out over the edge of the pan, so the lid holds it in place. Place the roast in a preheated 225-degree oven. Cook the roast until fork tender. A 3 Lb roast will take about 4 hours. NOTE: You may add no liquid and cook at 200 degrees.
SAUCE
The slowly braised roast produces wonderful meat juices. After removing the roast from the pan, these can be further reduced for an au jus to be poured back over the roast. Season to taste. If desired after reducing, add 1 TBSP butter, stir until melted.
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