Recipe courtesy of Michael Symon

Pot Roast with Carrots, Shallots, Mint and Lemon

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 5 hr (includes basting time)
  • Active: 5 hr
  • Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Sprinkle the beef liberally with salt (about 4 tablespoons) and then refrigerate overnight, preferably on rack.
  2. Pull the beef out an hour before cooking to take the chill off of it. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  3. Render the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until slightly crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve.
  4. Brown the beef on all sides in that same pan over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes per side. As you brown the smaller sides, add the shallots and carrots and begin to brown them. Once all sides of the beef are browned, remove to a plate. Add the garlic and thyme to the remaining vegetables with a pinch of salt and sweat until you get a slight caramelization and the vegetables start to release their aromas, about 4 minutes.
  5. Deglaze the pan with the cider, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to get all of the caramelization into the sauce. This step will give you more depth to the finished sauce and add a layer of richness. Add the coriander and bay leaves, then the beer. Bring to a simmer. Add the beef back in, along with the bacon and enough of the stock to go three-quarters of the way up of the roast (about 1 cup, keeping in mind that the cooking liquid will reduce while it's in the oven).
  6. Baste the beef with the liquid, top with a lid and put it in the oven. Cook until tender, basting every hour, 3 to 4 hours.
  7. Remove the roast from the oven and skim any excess fat. Break the roast apart in the pan so that there are large chunks in the liquid. Gently remove the chunks of roast to a platter. Spoon the vegetables on top and garnish with the torn mint and lemon zest. Add a couple of spoonfuls of the braising liquid on top to spread the lemon and mint flavors throughout the dish. Serve.