Red Wine-Braised Pot Roast with Creamy Goat Cheese + Cauliflower Mash
A while back when I was pitching a few recipe concepts to a client, I pitched a version of this pot roast. It wasn’t the recipe the client selected but I couldn’t get it out of my head. So I made it anyway. This is one of those cozy Sunday afternoon kinda meals. It’s very simple to put together and mostly hands off as the oven does most of the work. I find it comforting to have a meal cooking away in the oven on a weekend afternoon, perfuming the house with deliciously savory smells while I get along with my day, knowing dinner will be waiting for me when it’s all done.
Beef and red wine are such a perfect match. The rich red wine adds so much depth of flavor to the beef and coats the tender, caramelized vegetables with that luscious sauce. And we’ll need some sort of bed for all that gorgeous sauce and while you could go the mashed potato route, I encourage you to give mashed cauliflower a try if you’ve never done it! It comes together more quickly than mashed potatoes and is less finicky since there’s no risk of ending up with a gummy texture like potatoes are want to do with all their starch. With some creamy, tangy goat cheese and a touch of butter whipped in, they are so delicious. I really hope you give this recipe a try and please let me know if you do!
Red Wine-Braised Pot Roast with Creamy Goat Cheese + Cauliflower Mash
serves 6
3-4 lb chuck roast, cut into about 4-inch cubes (preferably grass-fed beef)
2 T avocado oil (or olive oil)
3 c dry, full-bodied red wine (About 1 bottle. I used tempranillo but use any that you enjoy drinking!)
1 c beef broth
2 T tomato paste
1 T honey
handful fresh thyme sprigs
handful fresh rosemary sprigs
3 dried bay leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 large carrots, roughly chopped
2 large parsnips, roughly chopped
116oz bag frozen pearl onions (they don’t need to be thawed), or 1 large onion, roughly chopped
flaky salt, for finishing (such as Jacobsen’s)
cauliflower mash
1 large head cauliflower, washed and cut into florets
2 T unsalted butter, room temperature (I love Kerrygold because it’s grass-fed and has the best flavor!)
4 oz chevre goat cheese, room temperature
2 t fresh thyme, finely chopped (dried works too)
salt and pepper, to taste
make the roast
Preheat oven to 325 F. Season the roast well with salt on all sides. In a large cast-iron dutch oven (or large heavy-bottomed pot you have a lid for) over medium heat, add the avocado oil and add in the roast pieces, working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pot. Allow them to sear and develop a nice crust, about 3-5 minutes or so, then flip and repeat on all sides. Remove roast and place on a plate. If needed, add in a glug more avocado oil and add in the garlic, sauteing for a minute or so until fragrant. Add in the carrots, parsnips, onions, rosemary, and thyme and saute another 5 minutes or so, until the vegetables start to caramelize. Season to taste with salt and pepper then add in the wine, beef broth, tomato paste, and honey and stir to combine. Add in the bay leaves then add the roast pieces back in, nestling them into the liquid. Add the lid to the pot and place in the oven. Cook for about 3 hours, until pot roast is tender and liquid has thickened and reduced.
make the cauliflower mash
When the pot roast is just about done, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in the cauliflower florets. Boil for about 5 minutes, until cauliflower is tender when a knife is inserted into one of the florets. Drain the cauliflower and add to a blender, food processor, or large bowl if using an immersion blender (all methods work!). Add in the butter, goat cheese, thyme, salt and pepper and blend until smooth and everything is incorporated, about a minute or so. Transfer to a bowl to serve.
to serve
Spoon a big dollop of mashed cauliflower on your plate and some of the roast and vegetables alongside it. Spoon over some of the pan juices if you’d like and enjoy! Sprinkle over fresh thyme and enjoy!
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