Classic Beef Pot Roast

Pot Roast has become a family favorite. If you're want something hearty and aren't in the mood to grill, it's a great smoky alternative. I think all of the ingredients are critical except for perhaps the bay leaf. I can't emphasize enough the need to generously brown the meat. I also skip adding carrots and potatoes which makes the meat a bit more crispy on the outside. The beef stock adds a nice layer of flavor. Of course picking a good cut of beef chuck makes a big difference. I've had a lot of good results using grass fed arm roast with a marrow bone.

1 teaspoon  tablespoon olive oil 
1   (3-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed [A grass fed arm roast with a marrow bone is very good.]
1+ teaspoon  kosher salt
1/4++ teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
2 cups  coarsely chopped onion [I have substituted with dried / re-hydrated chopped onions which worked out okay. Go with fresh if you can.]
1 cup  dry red wine
4   thyme sprigs [Dried is okay. I sprinkle the top generously.]
3   garlic cloves, chopped
1   (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth [I use beef base in hot water.]
1   bay leaf 
4   large carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
2   pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces 
  Fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350º.
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chuck roast with salt and pepper. Add roast to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. [Get all sides very crispy and brown. Additional time may be required.] Remove roast from pan. Add onion to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender.
Return browned roast to pan. Add the red wine, thyme sprigs, chopped garlic, beef broth, and bay leaf to pan; bring to a simmer. [Don't allow liquid to cover the top of the meat.] Cover pan and bake at 350° for 1 1/2 2 1/2 hours or until the roast is almost tender.
Add carrots and potatoes to pan. Cover and bake an additional 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf from pan; discard. Shred meat with 2 forks. Serve roast with vegetable mixture and cooking liquid. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desired.


http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/classic-beef-pot-roast-10000001536793/

Northern Italian Lasagna (Bechamel & Bolognese)

[This is a recipe from an Italian friend that I started refining around 2000 and serving for family a few times a year. I frequently double or triple both of the sauces.  It’s not much more work and during assembly, it’s less stressful to know that you have ample ingredients to distribute – plus more leftovers.]

 

BECHAMEL SAUCE

50 gr. white flour [5#=2260g -> 1.8oz ~1/4 cup]

1/2 liter milk [I usually put it in a glass measure and microwave it for a minute so it’s not cold.]

50 gr butter [ ½ stick unsalted]

salt

nutmeg (if you like it)

In a casserole [sauce pan] melt the butter, add the flour and let it turn gold, always stirring. Add warm milk, always stirring so

that it doesn't clot for 15 minutes, add salt and nutmeg  [I tend to keep it cooking longer -- slowly until it’s thick and bubbly, then just turn off the heat, cover and work on the Bolognese.]

 

When ready you can mix it with the meat sauce -this is extremely unorthodox (I might be slaughtered for such a

piece of advice!) but very practical and the result is the same [I don’t do this because I like to finish assembly with just Béchamel.]

 

 

MEAT SAUCE

 

This is the real Bolognese sauce but you can vary it to your tastes:

 

400 gr veal sauce .: [1# lean ground beef, or veal if you prefer]

100 gr bacon [I’ve never tried Italian pancetta, which isn’t as smoky as American.  ~4 slices – American bacon -- applewood smoked is good. ]

30 gr butter (oil, if you prefer) [ ~½ stick unsalted]

1 carrot (minced) [ I like to triple the amount of carrots.]

1 onion  

tomato juice 6 spoonfuls Of available use 3/4 fresh tomatoes -very ripe- minced) [6 tablespoons of tomato puree in a glass jar/bottle works well.  Many of the canned varieties can be tinny tasting, so if you can only find cans buy a brand with a lined can.  (The inside of the can is white.)]

celery (minced) [ I like to double the amount of celery.]

dried mushrooms -if you like it [ I like dried Shitake or Morel.  Save the warm water to add back to the sauce if needed.]

cinnamon just a little bit, or a clove

! bay leaf (if any, I have never used it) [I like it.]

pepper

[beef stock, red wine, and mushroom water -- add later during cooking if moisture is needed.  Each add a layer of complexity

to the sauce, so I tend to cook the sauce uncovered and for some time, adding bits of liquid along the way, keeping the consistency where I want it.]

 

In butter, put bacon (minced) onion, celery and carrot until about fried: Add the minced meat and stir for 10 min.

add the mushrooms, cinnamon, bay leaf and tomato juice. Salt and pepper and cook for 1 hour, adding water or

meat stock (or a stock cube) if necessary. Instead of these liquids you can use wine or a glass of brandy

 

PREPARATION

You will need 100 gr. of Parmesan cheese. grated . [Parmigiano Reggiano that you grate yourself is a must.] 

You can add any other cheese you have in the house, grated.

Near the cooker, have some white clean cloth spread onto the table where you will lay the pasta (this is very

important!)  [This is very helpful.]

[I usually buy more lasagna than I need as I’m never sure what size noodles will fit the pans that I’m using. 

I also cut the noodles to size with a kitchen shears during assembly if needed.  Don’t buy the no-boil noodles.]

Boil the pasta (only 4/5 layers at a time) in salted water for as long as advised on the box, (in the water put a

spoonful of oil so the pasta layers don't stick to one another). 

Take an oven pan, with some butter oil the bottom, put some meat sauce, then a layer of pasta, meat sauce and

béchamel, parmesan cheese and go on until you have pasta and sauce. Finish with pasta, put some butter onto it [I prefer to finish with béchamel, Parmesan, and bread crumbs.] and cook in the oven for 20/30 min.

 

[357 degrees ~30-35 min.  I also prepare ahead of time (earlier in the day), refrigerating before I’m ready to bake and haven’t noticed a difference.]

 

Instead of the meat sauce you can use a squash sauce (sort of puree made of squash -in cubes, onion and

rosemary leaves) or any other vegetable sauce -you can try with zucchini, or radicchio or even lettuce -(the

procedure is always the same, oil, onion, vegetables, wine or stock, salt and pepper-of course cooked for much

less time ...). The taste will be more delicate and chic  [See Wolfgang’s Pumpkin Lasagna.]

 

BUON APPETITO