Tender Roast Beef Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 3 ½ pound chuck roast
• salt
• pepper
• 4 oz pancetta, cut in ¼ inch cubes (can substitute bacon)
• 2 medium onions, chopped medium
• 2 carrots, chopped medium
• 2 celery ribs, chopped medium
• 1 T tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic
• ½ t sugar
• 1 T flour
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 3 1/2 cans water
• 1 can rotel tomatos
• thyme (to taste)
• rosemary (to taste)
• parsley (to taste)

Instructions

1. Pull roast apart at it’s major seam into two halves. Use knife if necessary.
2. Remove large knobs of fat from each piece, leaving a thin layer of fat on the meat.
3. Tie meat back together using kitchen twine.
4. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 300 degrees.
5. Thoroughly pat beef dry with paper towels and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
6. Place pancetta in heavy dutch oven and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crispy (about 8 minutes).
7. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towel-lined plate and reserve.
8. Pour off all but 2 T fat. Heat over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke.
9. Add beef to pot and cook until well browned on each side (about 2 minutes per side).
10. Transfer beef to a plate and set aside.
11. Reduce heat to medium and add onions, carrots, celery, and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften and brown (about 6 minutes).
12. Add garlic, sugar, flour and reserved pancetta.
13. Cook, stirring constantly, until combined and fragrant.
14. Add soup, water and rotel, scraping bottom of pan to removed browned bits.
15. Add spices and return roast to pot.
16. Increase heat to high and bring liquid to a complete boil.
17. Place a large sheet of foil over top of the pot and cover tightly with lid.
18. Set pot in the oven and cook, using tongs to turn beef every 45 minutes for about 3 hours.
19. Transfer beef to plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
20. Allow liquid to sit for 5 minutes and then skim fat off surface.
21. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, whisking constantly to break vegetables down.
22. Cook until mixture has thickened (about 20 minutes).
23. Strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer.
24. Discard solids.
25. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
26. Serve with sliced meat and mashed potatoes