Wine not Whine Sunday dinner

Pot Roast is that classic American Sunday dinner that is so comforting on a cold day. Who doesn't think about mom or grandma when you hear the words "pot roast."  I love the combination of Yorkshire pudding and moist Merlot Pot Roast drizzled with au jus sauce. I started this in the oven at 3pm on a Sunday afternoon and we began eating at 6:30. Yes it's one of those all day, enjoy some wine, slow no fuss roasting recipes that fill the air with that homey "can't wait for dinner" aroma. The addition of a peppery Merlot and rosemary really gives this a hardy flavor. I made a nice Yorkshire pudding and topped it with mashed potatoes and the pot roast and onion au jus sauce. I think next time I'll skip out on the mashed potatoes since this kind of drowned out the Yorkshire pudding or perhaps serve it on the side instead. This is also an excellent Crockpot meal. Now I must figure out what to make tonight for dinner. . .hmmm.


Ingredients:
4 lb beef chuck roast
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, sliced 
2 cups of Merlot wine
1 tablespoon of rosemary or 2 healthy sprigs of fresh
2 tablespoon black pepper, freshly cracked
2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
3-4 cups baby carrots
3 cups of mushrooms, sliced or halved
2 tablespoon olive oil 
1 cup beef broth (you can use vegetable or pork as well)

Note: You can also add butternut or acorn squash, celery or other root vegetables during the last hour of roasting. 


Other:
1 Yorkshire pudding (see recipe)
1 batch of mashed potato's (optional)


Au jus Sauce:
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup Merlot or water/broth
1/4 cup drippings from roasting pan
1 small onion, sliced thinly (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup cornstarch

Directions:
Wash and pat dry the beef roast. Drizzle it with 2 tablespoon of olive oil and rub it with the black pepper and salt. In a large skillet, heat olive oil to high and sear the beef roast on both sides for about 5 minutes per side, see figure 1. The searing will bring out the flavors of the beef and leave flavor remnants in the pan which you'll use for the au jus sauce by de-glazing.

In a large roasting pan, place the seared beef, garlic and onions. Add the Merlot and broth. Cover and place into a preheated 300 degree oven for about 3 1/2 to 4  hours (approx. 45 minutes per pound of beef). After 2 hours, check on the roast and flip, recover and place back into the oven. For the last hour of cooking add the baby carrots and mushrooms (and other vegetables if you like). 


After the roast is finished cooking, take out of oven, keep the cover on and let it rest for about 20 minutes. This lets it settle and remain juicy. While this is settling, prepare the Yorkshire Pudding (see recipe). 


Making the Au Jus Sauce:
As the Yorkshire Pudding is baking prepare the au jus. Take the pan you seared the beef on earlier and set it on a burner on high. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1/2 cup of sliced onions, cook until caramelized, about 6 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup of Merlot or water or broth to the heated pan. Stir to incorporate into the liquid. Turn the burner to medium high and add a rue (1/4 cup of cornstarch to 1 tablespoon of butter) and whisk. Add 1/4 cup of drippings from the roasting pan (you don't want to use alot of the dripping since it'll be very salty). Add 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. 


To assemble:
Turn out the Yorkshire pudding onto a large platter. 

Scoop the mashed potatoes on top of the pudding or skip this step and use the mash as a side dish. See figure 2. 

Slice the pot roast and lay the slices on top of the mashed potatoes. Arrange the vegetables around the Yorkshire pudding on the platter. Drizzle the beef with the aujus sauce. Cut into wedges and serve.