Italian Style Pot Roast

It's a cold rainy day here in New Jersey! What better meal to have then a one pot wonder! Takes just a few minutes to put together, and then it does the rest for you. I put mine on top of the stove, however you can use the crock pot for those on the go people.


1 3-4 pound Pot Roast
1 28 oz can san marzano tomatoes (whole, peeled tomatoes, pop them in the blender and puree for a minute)
3-4 cloves of garlic (depending on how much you want to ward off vampires)
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 sprig rosemary, chopped
handful parsley, chopped
2 bay leaves
salt/pepper to taste
2 cups beef broth
1 cup red wine (feel free to use more, and definitely drink some as you go along)
couple strips of bacon or you can use pancetta  (chopped)

 In a large stock pot heat up a couple tablespoons of  olive oil. Salt the pot roast really well on all sides. Once the oil is heated, put in the roast. Brown on all sides to form a nice crust. Once that's achieved, take the roast out and set aside. You will see all those pretty brown bits in the bottom, that's a good thing! Add in a little more olive oil and add in the chopped bacon/pancetta, let crisp up a bit. Now add in the onions, carrots, celery and onion, sprinkle w/salt, remember to flavor each layer. Cook about 5-6 minutes. Now add in the wine, bay, parsley, rosemary and cook another 5 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes and beef broth and bring up to a boil. Once at a boil add in the pot roast again, lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover it and forget about it for 3-4 hours. The longer you cook, the more melt in your mouth it is!

Now Take out the meat to rest. Put the vegetables on a different platter. Boil the liquid for about 8-10 minutes. Mix just enough of the liquid to make a paste with 2 tablespoons of flour and whisk until blended well. Now very slowly add this to the pot of liquid, just a little at a time. Pour in a little, see if it's at the desired thickness you want, if not boil a little longer, if it still isn't add in a little more flour paste and so on. Pour over the meat and vegetables, serve over polenta or egg noodles and enjoy!
Once the liquid, now gravy cools, skim the top before popping in the fridge.
 Copyright © 2012 Salvo-lutions by, Dana Salvo