Dutch Oven Beef Roast

Just like a good skillet, a Dutch oven can easily go from stovetop to the inside of the oven, and that makes this recipe nice and simple, since you only have to use one pan for everything from browning the meat to reducing the sauce to slowly braising everything until it’s falling apart on your fork. Once it’s in, it does have to cook for a while, but there’s nothing for you to do but sit back and enjoy the smells.

The vegetable mix combines popular favorites with something a little different. The classic carrots and tubers are all there (sweet or white potatoes – white potatoes are totally fine to eat, but if you don’t like them, you can just as easily use sweet), but there’s also a newcomer: celeriac. As the name suggests, celeriac is related to celery; it’s a root vegetable with a slight celery-like taste. It’s pretty low in carbs (much lower than potatoes; it’s roughly similar to winter squash).

You don’t have to use the red wine. Wine is a Paleo gray area, and some people are fine with it, especially in cooking, but other people feel better without it. The tomatoes and bay leaves give the broth plenty of flavor regardless. Try it out someday when you have a few hours to let it cook until it’s well and truly done: you won’t regret the cooking time after the first bite!

Dutch Oven Beef Roast Recipe

SERVES: 4 PREP: 25 min. COOK: 2 h.

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Ingredients

• 4 to 5lbs. bottom round beef roast;
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced;
• 4 sweet or russet potatoes, cut into chunks;
• 1 celeriac, diced;
• 2 onions, quartered;
• 3 cloves garlic, minced;
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste;
• 1/2 cup red wine; (optional)
• 2 cups beef stock;
• 2 bay leaves;
• Fresh thyme sprigs;
• Cooking fat;
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper;

Preparation

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
2. Season the beef with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Melt some cooking fat in a Dutch oven placed over a medium-high heat.
4. Brown the roast on all sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
5. Add the onion, garlic, and tomato paste, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Pour in the wine, if using. Scrape the bottom of the pan, and let simmer until reduced by half.
7. Add all the vegetables, the beef stock, the thyme, and the bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven.
8. Roast in the oven for 2 hours or until the meat reaches 145 F.