Yankee Gone South Pot Roast

 

Yankee Gone South Pot Roast
with Spring Onion and fresh Chives

Don't forget to click on the pictures -  You will be hungry after you do! ;.)

This time of year if you are up north, the snow is melting (finally), and you are longing for real spring weather to kick in.  Down here in the south, we are already experiencing warm weather.  We have cool nights here in central Florida, followed by warm days.

No matter where you live, comfort foods seem to fall out of fashion in the spring and the summer.  You want to look good in those shorts or in that bathing suit, right?  If you’re like me and you freeze meat when you find it on sale, you probably still have that one lonely chuck roast in the freezer that you’d like to use up. 

Here is a recipe for Yankee Pot roast that will take you right into the spring.  It’s got all the flavors of comfort food, with a sprinkling of fresh herbs and sunshine (lemon) that will remind you of Florida.  That is why I call this dish -

Yankee Gone South Pot Roast

Serves 4 - 6

3 ½ lb Boneless Chuck Roast

2 tablespoons Montreal Grill Seasoning (By McCormick)

¼ cup Flour

1 tablespoon Canola Oil

2 small yellow or white onions, quartered

1 - 35 ounce can Peeled Tomatoes with Basil

1 - 10 oz can Beef Consommé 

10 oz. Burgundy Wine, one tablespoon divided out

2 cloves fresh Garlic, minced

3 tablespoons Brown Sugar

2 -3 sprigs fresh Thyme

Coarse Sea Salt, to taste

Freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed Lemon Juice

3 large or 6 small Carrots, sliced

3 stalks Celery, chopped

½ lb. petite Red Potatoes, halved

10 oz. fresh or frozen white Mushrooms, sliced

½ lb. frozen Pearl Onions

1 tablespoon fresh Chives, chopped

1 Spring Onion, sliced (white and green parts – optional but recommended)

Other:  1 - 2 teaspoons of Corn Starch for thickening gravy

Note:  This dish cooks on the stove, so you don't have to heat up the oven, or the house!

Season flour with grill seasoning.  Roll roast in flour and seasoning mix until coated. 

Add oil to a dutch oven and heat until smoking hot.  Brown roast on all sides.  Remove from pan.

Add one tablespoon of the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the browned bits from the bottom. 

Add onions, tomatoes, Consommé, the rest of the wine, garlic, brown sugar, thyme springs, sea salt, pepper and lemon juice.  Stir well. 

Return roast to pot.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer.  Cook on top of the stove for 1 hour and 15 minutes, covered.

Add carrots, celery and potatoes.  Bring to boil and reduce to simmer.  Cook for one hour, covered.

Add mushrooms and pearl onions.  Bring to boil, and reduce to simmer once again.  Cook for an additional 15 minutes.

At this point, if your gravy is too thin, you can remove a little of the sauce from the pan (about 1/4 cup) and let it cool for a moment or two.  Add in about a teaspoon or two of cornstarch and mix well.  Add the mixture back to the pot and stir in.

A complete meal:  All you need is Texas Toast!