No, I am not all of a sudden channeling Aretha’s 80’s classic as an homage to chuck roast – tho’ I am rather taken with the quality of Target’s beef – and it is nowhere near to being our anniversary (ermmm, does anyone have pot roast for a romantic anniversary dinner?).
Nope, this pot roast gets its name from the spice rub we picked up during Saturday’s visit to Milwaukee’s Public Market.
True, the blend specifically calls for using a brisket; but it also calls for barbecuing, and, since I was fresh out of brisket and had no intention of stepping out onto the soggy, melting snow on the deck to fire up the Weber, I thought I might make a few, ermmm, adjustments…
INGREDIENTS
•1 chuck roast – about 2-1/2 pounds
•Olive oil
•Brisket of Love Spice Rub – about eight teaspoons
If you haven’t got the rub, you can always make your own using your preferred spices – think pepper, garlic and onion powder, Colman’s mustard, paprika, maybe a sprinkling of citrus zest, and some salt.
•Roughly chopped onion, celery and carrots
Heat the oven to 250º.
Make a bowl with aluminum foil in a Dutch oven and add onion, celery and carrot to the bottom.
Coat the beef with olive oil and rub the spice blend well into both sides. Place on top of the veggies in the foil bowl and top with some more onion slices.
Fold the foil over all to make a packet, put the lid on the pot and bake in the oven for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for about thirty minutes before opening the foil packet to all that pot roast-y goodness.
I do not use the veggies done with the beef, for the same reason I don’t use the juices; both are just a bit too infused with fat for my taste, but feel free to serve the veggies and make a gravy, if you like. We had our roast with baked potato, fresh asparagus, some horseradish sauce on the side, and didn’t miss the gravy.
Now, if you’re comparing this pot roast to the other’s on the site, you’ll note that I cut out the bit where I sear the beef to add a bit of a crust before wrapping everything in foil and tossing it into a slow oven. Well, I never really cared for that step – or the smoky ‘aroma’ left to linger about the house – so decided to try a pot roast without the searing…
Worked a treat!
Save a step – and all that smoky smell – truly a pot roast to love.