Mary Ann's Blog
Ciao Italia Blog Exclusive: Mary Ann's Italian Style Pot Roast
December 4, 2008
The colder it gets outside, the warmer I want it to be inside. Cold days call for hearty food and that’s when I drag out my slow cooker to make an Italian-inspired pot roast.
No slow cooker? No problem. Cook the roast in a heavy duty pan in a 300F oven until fork tender for several hours.
You can find other slow cooking classics and new twists on old favorites in Ciao Italia Slow and Easy. It’s perfect for this time of year.
Italian Style Pot Roast
Serves 6
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 1/2 pounds boneless chuck roast
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup dry red wine
One 28 ounce can crushed plum tomatoes
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh basil
2 sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley
Mix the salt, pepper and oregano together and rub all over the roast. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the roast well on all sides. This is a really important step because it locks in juices and flavor.
Transfer roast to the slow cooker or heavy duty oven roaster. In the same skillet used to brown the roast, cook the onion, carrot, and garlic until the mixture is soft, then add them to the slow cooker or oven roaster.
Combine the wine and tomatoes in a bowl and add to the slow cooker or oven roaster.
Tie the rosemary basil and parsley together with kitchen string and add to the slow cooker or roaster. Mix the ingredients well, Cover and cook in slow cooker for 4-5 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low. For the oven roaster, cover with heavy duty foil and cook 3 to 4 hours or until fork tender.
When cooked, transfer the meat to a cutting board; cover and allow to stand for 20 minutes. Cut into slices and return the meat to the slow cooker or oven roaster just to reheat. Serve hot with some of the sauce.
The sauce is also good over pasta or rice.
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