Slow-Baked Pot Roast with Carrots and Red Potatoes

(Pot Roast with carrots and baby red potatoes.)

Tonight, we had one of the meals that I had intended to make last weekend, but was not able to because of a jammed-packed schedule. It's a pot roast recipe that I found on Food and Wine Magazine's website (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_33765_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html).

(Boneless Chuck Beef Roast.)

I changed the recipe up just a bit.  I used a boneless Chuck beef roast because that was on sale at the store, and a boneless roast cooks faster and more tenderly. I also used red baby potatoes, instead of Russet potatoes because I like them better.  I also baked the meat for about 3 hours at 325°, instead of 2 hours at 350°.  I like the meat to cook very slowly, and be extra tender.  It paid off big time. The meat was juicy, tender, and delicious. It is loaded with flavors. The honey gave it a nice and mild sweetness that balances very well with the savory flavors of the beef stock, red wine, thyme and garlic.

(Roast after browning.)

I actually made the roast last night (while watching the Presidential Debate), and stored it in the refrigerator for dinner tonight. Pot roasts are great because they store well, you can have lots of leftovers, and they are versatile. You can have it with rice, with pasta, or as tacos. Tonight, some of us had the roast with steamed Jasmine rice. My 6-year-old son had it in tacos. Everyone loved it! Even the kids, which is always my hope whenever I make a new dish. When my daughter walked into the house from her Ballet class, she sniffed and asked "what's for dinner? It smells delicious." That was music to my ear! This recipe will be added to my favorite recipes.

The Vino

A roast like this calls for a yummy, full-bodied red wine. I had just the right "weeknight" bottle in mind: Gundlach Bundschu's Mountain Cuvee (2009 Sonoma, CA). It's a red wine blend, made up of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  It is a big body wine with an amazing texture on the palate. It has loads of deep dark berry fruit flavors, such as black cherry and blackberry.  Its tannins are soft, making it easy to drink. But, it has a smooth lingering finish, making it the perfect accompaniment to this roast. I picked up a bottle of this wine from Safeway recently. It's normally about $20, but it was on sale for $14.  We usually like the Gundlach Bundschu wines. (Their winery is beautiful.) I wanted to check out this vintage. I will go back to pick up more bottles to stock up. http://www.gunbun.com/index.cfm?method=storeproducts.showdrilldown&productid=a8de8347-e678-ca33-cde6-cb2d7a8534b2&isMarketingURL=1&.

If you are looking for some earthy, delicious, and comforting dish to make this weekend, try this roast. I hope you enjoy it.

Until next time . . . Cheers!

ZinAdel