Long Beach Pot Roast

Howard Purdy Purdy

ingredients

1/2 cup canola oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
5 pounds of beef chuck roast or boneless short ribs
1 cup dry red wine
4 carrots peeled and chopped
2 large onions peeled and chopped
8 stalks of celery - chopped
1 jalapeno pepper - remove seeds and chop
8 cloves of garlic - unpeeled
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 bay leaf
8 cups (or more) chicken stock

For roasted root vegetables and caramelized onion
6 medium carrots - peeled and halved and halved again
1 lb fingerling potatoes - unpeeled
12 pearl onions - unpeeled
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 tbsp canola oil
3 medium Spanish onions - peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

directions

1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add 1/2 cup canola oil and heat for 1 minute. Add the beef and sear on both sides until brown and crisp (about 15 minutes) Remove the meat and pour off the oil and discard. Add the wine to deglaze and simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes. Pour the wine into a cup and save.
2
In the same pan, on medium high heat, combine the carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms, jalapeno, garlic and bay leaf. Sauté for 5 minutes. Place the beef on top of the vegetables and pour the wine over the top of the meat. Add enough chicken stock to cover 3/4 of the meat. Cover the pan and place in the oven on the lowest level rack. Roast for 3 hours or until tender. Add more stock if necessary.
3
In a large bowl add the carrots, pearl onions and potatoes and toss with the olive oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Spread on a baking dish. Place in the oven on the top shelf for the last 45 minutes of the meat cooking.
4
During the last hour of the beef cooking, start the onions. In a heavy 12 inch skillet over medium high heat, heat the canola oil. Add the onion and sauté, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium and continue stirring until caramelized - about 30 to 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
5
Transfer the beef to a large plate and tent with foil. Skim off the fat. Strain the liquid to remove the solids and return to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes and slightly reduced. Season with salt and pepper.
6
Place the root vegetables and caramelized onions in a bowl and pour half the liquid over them and carefully toss to mix. For the remaining liquid continue to heat and add a mixture of 1 tablespoon of arrowroot and 2 tablespoons water. Thicken. Pour into a gravy boat. Arrange the root vegetables and onions over and around the beef on the platter and serve with the gravy on the side.