Osso Buco Pot Roast

Pot roast has set out to be my enemy. I have never had a tender pot roast and yet I keep trying different ways to tackle it. I will conquer it one day! When I think of tender meat I think of Osso Bucco, so that became the inspiration for my dinner. Over all the pot roast was very good, but still not as tender as I would have liked, but I will make this recipe again. I might experiment by cooking it in my crock pot rather then the oven. It may not be the prettiest on the plate, but the flavor was really good.

Osso Buco Pot Roast

1 cup all-purpose flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pot roast
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 french finger ling potatoes
1 onion, diced
1/2 pound baby-cut carrots
1 head garlic, cut horizontally through the middle
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 bottle red wine (I used Avalon 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can low-sodium beef broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole tomatoes, hand-crushed

Combine flour, salt and pepper and dredge pot roast in it; set aside. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat and hit it with a 3-count drizzle of oil. Add the butter and swirl it around the pan to melt. Sear the pot roast, turning carefully with tongs, until all sides are a rich brown caramel color.

Drizzle with a little more oil, if needed. Remove the browned pot roast to a side plate. There will be a lot of flavor left over in the bottom of the pot. You're going to use that to create your sauce.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Using the same pot, saute the potatoes, onion, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, and parsley over medium heat.

Cook the vegetables down until they start to get some color and develop a deep, rich aroma. Season with salt and pepper; add a little oil if needed.

Nestle the pot roast back in the pot. Pour in the wine and let it simmer down for 20 minutes, until the wine has reduced by half.

Reducing is key for intense flavor. Add the beef broth and tomatoes and stir everything together.

Cover the pot and put it in the oven. Braise for 1 and a 1/2 hours. Then remove the cover and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. The sauce should be thick and the pot roast test done.

Have a great weekend! Check back next week when I share more items going into my gift baskets and passing along an award!