You will love the way your house fills with the aromas of coriander, ginger, cumin, cinnamon!
Ingredients
For the spice mix
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons crushed coriander seed
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon (to taste) crushed red pepper flakes (or if available, Marash or Aleppo pepper*)
For the beef
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 (3-pound or 1.35 kg) beef chuck roast
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 3 carrots, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup (235 ml) water
- 1 cup (235 ml) pomegranate juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup loosely-packed chopped fresh parsley
For serving (optional)
Couscous
Glazed carrots
Directions
1 Make the spice mix: In a small bowl, stir together the garlic, coriander, turmeric, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, paprika and pepper.
2 Heat the oven: Set an oven rack near the bottom of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325ºF (or 160°C).
3 Season and sear the meat, then add vegetables, spices: Sprinkle the roast all over with salt and pepper.
In a large Dutch oven or other oven-safe pot with a lid, heat the oil. Add the beef and brown it on all sides, about 4 minutes per side.
Add the onion, carrots and bay leaves to the pot. Stir in the spice mix.
4 Braise the meat: Add the water and pomegranate juice to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and place in a 325°F (or 160°C) oven for 2 1/2 hours, turning once halfway through the cooking time.
When the meat is fork tender, remove it from the oven. (If it is not tender enough, leave it in a little longer.)
5 If serving with couscous and glazed carrots, prepare these when the pot roast is close to being done.
6 Finish the sauce: Transfer the meat to a platter and cover loosely with foil.
Set a strainer over a bowl and pour the sauce through. Press on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids and skim off the fat from the liquid. Add the lemon juice and taste. Add more salt and pepper, if you like.
Serve the pot roast: Slice the meat and serve in shallow bowls on top of the couscous and carrots. Ladle the sauce over the meat and sprinkle with parsley.
Note: I did not strain the sauce. It did not need it. I served the carrots from the pot and made “Ancient Grains.”
Based on a recipe from Sally Vargas.
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Bruce Barone 