Sunday, January 16, 2011

Onion and Fennel Pot Roast

It's been a while since we have posted a recipe, but it's been hard to find something that really impressed us so much that we needed to share it. Anyway, due to an inspiration from Giada on Food network, we tweaked her recipe to be fast and still amazing! Instead of using a dutch oven and taking 4.5 hours in the oven, we cooked this roast in a pressure cooker. The sauce can be used over an type of starch as a side dish. Personally the wife and I made instant butter and herb mashed potatoes and put the sauce over it… Delicious! This is a great meal for the cold winter months! Enjoy!

Equipment needed:

5 qt.(might be too small if using 5lb roast) Pressure cooker

Immersion blender

Ingredients:

Herb rub:

3 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves finely chopped

3 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves finely chopped

3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Additional ingredients:

1 (4-5 pound) boneless beef chuck roast

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 pound (about 2 cups) cipollini, boiler, or pearl onions, peeled

3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into 3/4-inch pieces

2 medium fennel bulbs, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 large whole cloves garlic

1 cup dry sherry

4 cups low-sodium beef broth, plus extra, as needed

2 dried bay leaves

Directions

For the rub: In a small bowl, mix together the rosemary, thyme, oil, salt, and pepper until smooth.

In a 5-7 quart pressure cooker oven, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and braise until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes. Remove the beef and set aside.

Add the remaining oil, onions, carrots, and fennel to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until aromatic. Add the sherry and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the broth and bay leaves. Return the beef and any juices to the pot and bring the liquids to a boil. Place the lid on the pressure cooker and cook for 60 minutes once it gets up to pressure.

Transfer the beef to a cutting board. Tent with foil and let stand for 15 minutes. Spoon any excess fat off the top of the pan juices. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Using an immersion blender, blend the vegetables and cooking juices together until smooth. (The vegetables can also be pureed in a blender). Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm over low heat.

Cut the beef into 1-inch pieces and place on a platter. Spoon some of the sauce over the meat and serve the remaining sauce on the side with rice, mashed potatoes, or whatever you feel like.