Matty's Sunday Roast

A good pot roast is something special. It is a perfect impressive meal that is a Matheson holiday staple. Pot roast is also a winner because you get gravy from the braising liquid. One-pot cooking is the best: you can throw in carrots, onions, parsnips, rutabaga — all your root vegetables —and pick them out when they are cooked, and then just finish the roast by reducing and basting. Easier than it looks!

Ingredients

•  1 4 lb. (1.8 kg) rump roast
• Canola oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 shallots, peeled
• 5 carrots, peeled
• 1 stalk celery, cut in half
• 4 leeks, sliced and cleaned, with white and green parts separated
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 bottle (750 mL) good-quality dry red wine
• 4 cups (960 mL) beef stock
• 4 sprigs thyme
• ½ cup (1 stick/115 g) unsalted butter
• 1 lemon

Directions

1. Dry rump roast with paper towel; rub with oil and season with salt and pepper.
2. Place a large cast iron skillet oven over medium-high heat and add 1/2-inch (12 mm) oil to pan. Place rump roast in pan; rotate to make sure it becomes golden brown and glistening, not dark brown or burned. You don’t want to “hard sear” the rump roast; it should be golden brown on each side and the ends. This should take 2 minutes per side. Remove seared rump roast and set aside.
3. Discard most of the oil; leave just enough to sauté the vegetables. Add whole shallots, whole carrots, celery, and white parts of the leeks; cook gently for 5 minutes. Add mustard and tomato paste and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
4. Add wine and stock. Return rump roast to the pan and add thyme. Bring to a boil and skim the scum. Turn heat down to low and cook, covered, 2 hours. Remove vegetables and set aside. Continue to simmer, covered, 1 hour.
5. Uncover, turn up heat, bring to a boil and cook, basting roast frequently with large spoon until sauce is reduced by more than half, about 1 hour. Remove rump roast; strain sauce into medium saucepan and whisk in butter. Season with salt (if needed), a squeeze of lemon juice and some pepper.
6. Place vegetables on platter and slice pot roast in 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces; spoon sauce over pot roast.