13 Feb 2012, Posted by Victoria in Dark Days Challenge,In the Kitchen, 4 Comments.

Eating Local: Boeuf Cabernet w/ Mashed Potatoes

It’s cold. Really cold. So I slow roasted a nice chuck roast, and it filled the house with warmth & delicious aromatics.

Armed with veg from a local farm, local dairy, herbs from the garden, a bottle of Black Ankle Rolling Hills, some onion soup from the deep-freeze, and a chuck roast from local butcher, Treuth & Sons, I was ready to cook! Here’s how I made it happen:

Ingredients:
- 1 chuck roast, 4 pounds will give generous leftovers
- 1 quart of homemade onion soup (alternatively a quart of beef stock & 2 roasted onions)
- 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
- 3 carrots, scrubbed & rough chopped
- 1 pound of potatoes, scrubbed & quartered
- 2 sticks of butter
- 1/2 cup of whole milk
- 1 bottle of red wine, something yummy
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- sprig of fresh sage, leaves removed & still whole
- salt & pepper (only non-local)

Method:
- preheat the oven to 300 (if you aren’t home all day, cook this in a slow-cooker)
- sear the roast in some butter (all sides), then let it rest while you par-cook the carrots, & garlic – then deglaze the pan with wine
- put roast back into the pan & add the onion soup, thyme & sage
- bring to a simmer, cover & cook for 3-4 hours until the roast falls apart
- in the last hour of cooking, put the quartered potatoes into a pot of cold water, over & bring to a boil
- continue boiling, uncovered until potatoes are fork-tender
- drain potatoes & then using a potato-ricer, rice them back into the pot
- add the milk, butter
- whip together with a fork & then salt & pepper to taste
- plate & devour!!

The carrots were like candy, and the potatoes light as air. This juicy & tender roast is just what we needed after a series of chilly days. Check out what I did with my leftovers – Leftovers: Beef Sammy.