Dinner: Pot Roast in Rich Gravy

Recipe by Melissa Roberts Brisket is the centerpiece of many holiday tables, but pot roast, cooked to succulent tenderness in a full-bodied braising liquid brightened with the tang of wine and tomato and enriched with a heady trio of cinnamon, bay leaf,

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health benefits of Pot Roast in Rich Gravy

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).

Ingredients

1/4 cup matzoh cake meal
4 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil, divided
1 (4 1/2-to 5-pound) beef chuck roast, tied
1 large onion (about 1 pound), coarsely chopped (2 cups)
2 large carrots (about 1/2 pound), coarsely chopped
2 medium parsnips (about 1/2 pound), coarsely chopped
2 cups full-bodied red wine
4 cups chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
5 full sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 (3-inch long) cinnamon stick
Fresh horseradish root, peeled and finely grated for serving (optional)
Special equipment: a 6- to 7-quart-wide heavy pot with lid

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 °F with rack in middle.
On a large plate mix together matzoh cake meal with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pat meat dry then coat with matzoh meal mixture, dusting off excess (discard matzoh meal but reserve plate).
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 6- to 7-quart-wide heavy pot over medium high heat until oil shimmers. Brown meat on all sides, totaling about 12 minutes. Transfer to plate.
Reduce heat to medium and add onions, carrots, and parsnips to pot with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften and turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
Add wine to pot and boil, scraping up any bits from bottom of pan until wine is reduced by half.
Add chicken broth, tomatoes in juice, thyme, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick to pot and bring to a simmer. Return meat to pot and cover with lid. Place in oven and braise until meat is tender when pierced with a fork, about 3 hours.
Transfer meat to a cutting board. Remove thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick. Transfer 2 cups braising liquid to a blender and purée until smooth (use caution when pureeing hot liquids). Stir pureed sauce into liquid in pot and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Discard strings from meat and cut into thick slices (it may fall apart as you slice it because it's so tender), then return meat to sauce and serve.

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