Oven-Braised Beef with Harissa
| Summary | |
|---|---|
| Prep time | 30 min |
| Cook time | 4-5 hours @ 300° |
| Source | Smitten Kitchen Keepers by Deb Perelman (pg 197-198) |
| Yield / serves | 6-8 servings |
| Rating | Very good |
Ingredients
- 3 to 3 1/2 lb boneless beef chuck roast, tied with a string
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 28 oz can whole tomatoes (or diced)
- 2 T prepared harissa or more to taste
- 1 T ground cumin
- 1 T ground coriander
- 1 medium head garlic, halved crosswise
- 1 c sliced carrots
- 1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced
- 3 c mixed fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, mint)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 T mined fresh lemon peel and pulp, seeds removed
- 6 T olive oil, plus more if needed
Preparation
Heat the oven to 300°. Place the beef in an ovenproof 4-5 quart heavy pot, dutch oven, or a casserole dish with a lid. Sprinkle it with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and many, many grinds of black pepper. Turn the beef over, and repeat the seasonings on the second side. Open your can of tomatoes, and use kitchen shears or a very clean scissors to chop them roughly right inside the can. Add the harissa, cumin, coriander, and 2 teaspoons salt to the can and give it a quick careful stir. Pour the tomato-harissa mixture over and around the beef. Place the garlic-head halves on either side, and cover with the lid.
Braise the beef in the middle of the oven for a total of 3-4 hours. At the 2 1/2 hour mark, carefully remove the pot from the oven and add the vegetables, cover again with the lid, and return to the oven for 30-90 minutes longer, or until the beef is very tender.
Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the herbs, 2 garlic cloves, and minced lemon until well chopped. Add the oil in a drizzle, running the machine the whole time, and scraping down the sides as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon into a bowl, and set aside for serving.
When the beef is tender, remove the garlic halves from the braise, freeing any stuck cloves with the tip of a knife and discarding the paper skins. Cut and discard the string around the meat. Let the roast rest 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving with the accompanying herb sauce.
Notes
One of my favorite ways to tweak this into an even fuller meal is to add 1 cup uncooked basmati or another long-grain rice to the pot. There's usually a lot of delicious cooking liquid in pot roasts, and the rice is happy to drink it up. But this method comes with two things to watch out for:
- Timing: Figuring out the exact right moment to add the rice so that it doesn't overcook is tricky. I often do it an hour before the pot roast is done, or at the 2 1/2 hour mark with the vegetables, but if your pot roast takes the full 4 hours to tenderize, the rice might become mushy. If you've made this a few times without rice, you might be better at assessing the ideal window for when to add it.
- Liquid level: While there's usually a lot of liquid in the pot, occasionally a pot roast produces less. If so, you might want to add up to 2 cups of water or beef broth along with the uncooked rice to unsure it softens without drying out the meat. You also might need a little water or broth to keep the mixture saucy once the rice is cooked, should the rice drink up all the liquid in the pot while it cooks, or if you like to rest it for a while before serving.
