Pot Roast with Root Veggies + Gravy

My good friend, Ashley, drove all the way to Winston-Salem to visit me on Monday night. We had an excellent time catching up. I always enjoy our visits together, as this one was no different. Yay for good friends!

Pot Roast with Root Veggies + Gravy
Kelley Gondring

Preheat oven 350º

In a large, deep skillet, heat on medium high:
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Sprinkle a:
4 pound piece of pot roast
on all sides with salt + pepper
Place in the skillet and brown on all sides.

Remove beef from skillet. Reduce heat to medium low and heat:
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Add:
1 white onion, peeled and very coarsely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, diced
Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add:
4 cups beef broth
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon salt
Let simmer uncovered 15 minutes.

Add the beef to the broth, plus:
4 turnips, peeled and cubed
6 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 large Yukon potatoes, peeled and cubed
Cover and place in oven. Let bake 2 hours.

Remove the skillet from the oven and let sit for several minutes. Transfer the meat and veggies to a serving dish. Use remaining liquid as au jus or to make gravy. I prefer gravy!

Gravy
In a medium saucepan, melt:
2 tablespoons butter

Add:
2 tablespoons flour [for gluten-free version, use sorghum flour]
Stir together with a whisk until a thick paste forms. A little at a time, add the reserved broth to the paste, whisking constantly. Add only a spoonful or two at a time to begin with so that it incorporates easily into the paste. As more and more broth is added, you'll be able to do so in larger quantities.

To serve, pour over meat and veggies.

Horseradish Sauce
Jason was hungry enough that he wanted me to skip this extra step. Luckily, I knew how good this addition would be and took the 2 extra minutes to make it. Make as much or as little as you wish, but the proportions are two parts mayo and one part horseradish. In exact terms:

In a small bowl, combine:
2 dollops mayonaise
1 dollop horseradish

Serve with a green veggie to add some extra color [and nutrition] to your plate. We sautéed bok choi in a little butter and three small cloves of garlic.

Eat up!