Easy Italian Pot Roast Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 to 4 pound rump or chuck beef roast
• 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large carrot, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 large celery stalk, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium red onion, diced (1 to 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
• 3 cups medium-bodied Italian red wine – Chianti works well
• 1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes

Directions

• Trim some of the fat from the meat. Pat dry with paper towels. Season generously with the salt and pepper.
• Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the roast and cook, turning it a few times, until it is nicely browned on all sides, 10-12 minutes.
• Transfer the meat to a platter.

• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are golden brown and begin to stick to the bottom of the pan, 10-12 minutes.
• Add the garlic, parsley, and sage, and stir until the herbs are lightly colored and fragrant, about 1 minute.

• Add 1 cup of the wine and stir quickly, bringing up the browned caramelized vegetables that stick to the bottom of the pan. When the wine is almost gone and coating the vegetables, return the meat to the pan and turn it over a few times to coat.
• Raise the heat to high, adding the remaining wine, the bay leaf, and the tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and place the covered dutch oven into a 300 degree oven for 3 − 4 hours. Turn the roast once an hour to keep all meat covered in juice.  Roast is done when an internal temperature reaches 185 degrees.

Remove the meat from the pot and place it on a cutting board, covered loosely with aluminum foil. If the sauce is too thin, bring it to a fast boil and reduce it until it has a medium-thick consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning.