Italian Pot Roast (Straccato) – Closet Cooking
A slow braised Italian style pot roast in a tasty tomato sauce.
Pot roasts are among my favourite meals and this Italian style pot roast is just packed with flavour! This recipe is super simple! You brown the beef, cook pancetta (bacon) and veggies before adding broth, tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, and Italian seasoning braising until the beef is falling apart tender! You can either simmer pot roast on the stove, or in the oven, or in a slow cooker making things nice and easy! I like to serve this Italian style pot roast over gorgonzola polenta, or pasta, or gnocchi, or mashed potatoes, etc.
Italian Pot Roast (Straccato)
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes Servings: 6
A slow braised Italian style pot roast in a tasty tomato sauce.
ingredients
- 4 ounces bacon (or pancetta), diced (optional)
- 3 pounds beef (such as chuck), cut into 3 large pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 cup carrot, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 sprig thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh chopped or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 1 sprig rosemary (or 1 teaspoon fresh chopped or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
directions
- Cook the bacon in a large oven safe saucepan (dutch oven), over medium heat, before setting aside.
- Season the beef with salt and pepper and brown in the bacon grease, over medium-high heat, in the pan before setting aside.
- Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until tender, about 7-10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, and bacon, and mix before adding the beef.
- Either: (1) bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the beef is falling apart tender, about 2-4 hours; OR (2) cover, transfer to a preheated to 275F/140C oven and cook until falling apart tender, about 2-4 hours; OR (3) transfer to a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, remove the sprigs of thyme, rosemary and bay leaves, and enjoy!
Option: Add 1 ounce of reconstituted dried porcini mushrooms.
Option: Replace some or all of the broth with a dry white or red wine.
Option: Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste along with the garlic.
Option: Add 1 spring sage ( (or 1 teaspoon fresh chopped or ½ teaspoon dried).
Option: Add 1 tablespoon fish sauce.
Option: Add 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
Option: Add 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce.
Option: Add 1/4 cup grated parmesan.
Option: Serve over pasta, gnocchi, polenta, mashed potatoes, etc.
