food | american classics
“Prep time is when the flavor
happens— the caramelized
onions, the splash of wine, the
hint of parsley— they’re all there
when you lift the lid at the end.”
Scott Peacock
Scott’s Pot Roast
PREP 1 hr. BAKE 3 /
2
hr.
1
5- to 7-lb. p ot roast (7-bone roast, bone-in
chuck roast, or bone-in blade roast) or 3- to
4-lb. b on eless chuck roast
1
Tbsp. olive oil plus additional for coating b eef
2
tsp. kosher salt
2
Tbsp. u n salted butter
1
2-oz. slice salt pork (about 4 inches lon g). If
salt pork isn ’t available, S cott says, om it it.
5
sm all to m edium yellow onions, p eeled and
quartered
7
cloves garlic, peeled, trimmed, halved lengthwise,
and any green inner sprouts removed
3
/4
cup dry w hite w ine
/
2
cup reduced-sodium chicken broth or w ater
7
stem s Italian (flat-leaf) parsley (S et aside
leafy top s for finished dish.)
1
bay leaf
Freshly ground black pepper
/
2
tsp. dried thym e, crushed
5
sm all carrots, trim m ed and halved on
the diagonal
3
m edium turnips, p eeled and quartered
1
sm all leek, w hite and light green section ,
halved len gthw ise and rinsed w ell to
rem ove any sand
1
h alf celery heart, halved len gthw ise
12
sm all new Yukon gold or red cream er p otatoes
(about the size o f golf balls) •
• The day before cooking, rub roast with olive oil.
Sprinkle with the
2
teaspoons kosher salt and rub
salt thoroughly into meat,
photo
1
.
Refrigerate,
uncovered, overnight. “The salt penetrates deeply
into the meat to season it, and the olive oil adds its
flavor,” Scott says.
• Preheat oven to
275
°F. In
12
-inch nonstick or well-
seasoned cast-iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the
butter and the 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium
heat. Once butter is foaming, add beef and salt
pork,
photo
2
.
Deeply brown roast on all sides,
4
to 6
minutes for each large side,
3
to
4
minutes for short
sides. “You really want to take your time here and get
it brown,” Scott says. “It’s key to rich flavor.” Remove
salt pork once it is browned (it will take less time
than roast); set aside. Transfer roast to platter;
set aside.
• Drain and discard most of fat from pan, taking care
to leave behind any browned bits. Add remaining
butter and the onions to pan,
photo
3
.
Cook and stir
over medium heat until onions begin to brown. Add
garlic cloves; cook
2
minutes more. Add wine and
chicken broth to pan,
photo
4
;
scrape well with a
wooden spoon to dislodge any browned bits from pan.
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BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS | DECEMBER 2010 | BHG.COM
