French Pot Roast

Cook This, Not That! Pg. 250

Serves 4

500 Calories per serving

 
 

2	Strips bacon, cut into ½ ˝ pieces
¼ Cup	Flour
	Salt & Black Pepper to taste
2 lb	Chuck Roast, Excess fat removed, cut into 1˝ Pieces
½ bottle	Dry Red Wine
2 Cups	Low-sodium Beef Broth
2 Tbsp	Tomato Paste
2	Bay Leaves
2 Cups	Frozen Pearl Onions
½ lb	Button mushrooms, stems removed
1 Cup	Frozen Peas

 

• Preheat a large skillet or nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon until the fat is rendered & the bacon is crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon & drain on paper towel; set aside. Leave the pan on the heat.
  
• Combine the flour & plenty of salt & pepper in a sealable plastic bag. Working in batches, add the beef & shake until the pieces are lightly covered; remove until the pieces are lightly covered; remove the3 beef from the bag & shake off the excess flour. Add the pieces to the hot pan & cook until all sides are golden brown.
  
• Remove the beef & add to a slow cooker. When all the beef has been browned, add 1 cup wine to the hot pan & scrape up any brown bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Pour over the beef, along with the rest of the wine, the tomato paste, bay leaves, bacon pieces & broth.
  
• Set the slow cooker to high & cook for 4 hours, until the beef is tender & falls apart with pressure from a fork. In the last 30 minutes of cooking, add the pearl onions & mushrooms. Right before serving, add the peas and simmer for a few minutes to cook through. Discarded the bay leaves.
  
• Serve the stew by itself or over mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles with a good ladle of the cooking broth.