My husband loves a great pot roast and while I appreciate a good pot roast, I’m not the aficionado that day my husband is. Generally I’m just not a fan of the way the veggies taste in the sauce or the texture of the meat but it’s something I love making for my husband because I love him dearly.
Until I became pregnant with Mei, I was really not much for “spicy” foods and that’s not really saying a lot because I’m referring to the lack of mustard in my life. I would use a small amount on sandwiches or not at all (less than a teaspoon!) and certainly wouldn’t add it into a sauce for a meal… but this has to be the one exception! The whole grain mustard in this recipe gives the BEST flavor and it was totally worth draining every last bit of mustard in the fridge for this one!
This is easily a recipe that we will go back to again and again, although we had to rinse the cooking liquid off of the carrots, potatoes and bits of beef we gave the girls, the hint of it was still there and they loved every bite, demanding more and more until their tiny bellies were full! Served with a bit of crusty white bread and over some mashed potatoes or pasta, this makes a filling and satisfying meal that will have you going back for more!
Ingredients:
- 1/4 lb bacon, diced
- 1 L onion, finely diced
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 4 TBS unsalted butter (more or less, if needed)
- 2 lb boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 TBS all-purpose flour
- 1/2 C cognac or other brandy
- 2C beef broth
- 1/2 C dijon mustard
- 1/4 C pommery or other whole-grain mustard
- 6 large carrots, peeled & cut into bite sized pieces
- 1/2 llb mushrooms, quartered
- 1/4 C dry red wine
Start by rendering the bacon in a dutch oven on low heat. When it’s crispy and the fat is rendered, remove it from the pan while you work on the rest.
Increase the heat and add the onions and shallots, sauteeing them unitl they’re soft but not brown (5-10 minutes), transfer to a bowl, even though it’s hard, transfer all the onions out so you can brown the meat well without burning an onion piece.
Add 2 TBS of butter to the dutch oven and increase the heat to medium-high. Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper, dusting the cubes in flour. Brown the beef cubes in batches on all sides then transfer to a plate with the onions.
When the beef is browned, add the cognac to de-glaze the bottom of the pan. Use a wooden spoon to get all the browned bits up. Add a little more cognac if necessary to get all the bits up. Then add both mustards, whisking to blend. Then return the meat to the pot with the onions, mushrooms and carrots. Lower the heat, partially cover and simmer gentely until the meat is very tender – about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
Stir in the red wine and simmer for an additional five minutes, taste for salt and pepper and enjoy hot! This was incredibly tasty served over mashed potatoes with a slice of crusty bread.