The French Pot Roast (Boeuf Ala Mode)

h2Chef’s Note:/h2
pThis recipe can be finished either in the oven or the top of the stove. It is a great way to make use of a less expensive cut of beef. I follow Julia Child’s admonition: “Never let water touch the meat.”/p
pI like to make this a day in advance, refrigerate so the meat absorbs the flavors of the gravy and is MUCH easier to cut./p
pIf you choose NOT to cook with wine, I do not recommend this recipe. It is possible do prepare it with just the tomato sauce and beef broth, but that has an entirely different taste./p
h2Ingredients:/h2
ol
li1 four-lb. pot roast (I use eye round but top, or bottom round works as well)/li
li1 cup sliced onions/li
li1 bay leaf/li
li1 tsp. salt/li
li1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper/li
li2 tsp. Herbs de Provence/li
li1 6 ounce can tomato sauce/li
li1/2 cup low sodium beef broth/li
li4 tbsp. olive oil/li
li1 cup dry red wine (merlot, cabernet, pinot noir all work well)/li
li1/4 cup brandy/li
li2 tbsp. butter (or salt pork)/li
li2-3 cloves garlic, minced/li
li3 tbsp. cognac or brandy (optional)/li
li3 carrots (sliced on an angle)/li
li1 carrot grated/li
li12 ounces of mushroom sliced thickly (try crimini)/li
/ol
h2Preparation:/h2
ol
liIn a glass or pottery bowl, combine the sliced onions, bay leaf, herbs de Provence, 2 tablespoons of the oil, wine, and brandy./li
liAdd the meat, cover, and let marinate in the refrigerator at least 24 hours, turning occasionally./li
liDrain and reserve marinade./li
liDry the meat with paper towels./li
liSprinkle with salt and pepper. If using a top or bottom round roast you may have to roll up, tie securely with kitchen string./li
liPreheat the oven to 350°F./li
liHeat the remaining oil in a deep pot (Dutch oven) brown the meat on all sides over high heat./li
liTransfer the meat to a plate./li
liAdd butter or salt pork to the pan and allow it to melt./li
liAdd the sliced onions and sauté until brown (about 5 minutes)./li
liAdd the grated carrot and garlic, cook for 1 minute./li
liPour the marinade into the pan and bring to a boil, scraping the brown particles from the bottom of the pan./li
liAdd the cognac, tomato sauce, bay leaf, and beef broth./li
liCover, bring to a boil over direct heat. At this point you can either:/li
pReduce the heat and simmer for 2-2 ½ hoursbr /
Orbr /
Roast in a 350° degree oven for 2-2 ½ hours./p
liSkim fat from the gravy./li
liAdd the carrots, mushrooms./li
liAllow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight./li
/ol
h2Nutrition Information/h2
pRecipe makes 8 servingsbr /
Carbohydrates: 6 grams per serving/p