Buddy Valastro's Italian Pot Roast

Ingredients:

2‑1/2 ‑ 3 pounds boneless chuck roast


1/2 pound pancetta, cut into 1/4" dice

4 peeled and smashed cloves garlic

1 medium Spanish onion, peeled and sliced lengthwise

1 large stalk celery cut widthwise into 1" pieces

1 bunch slender carrots peeled and halved widthwise, then lengthwise (4 longish pieces from each carrot)

2 cups Chianti or other dry red Italian wine

1 cup homemade (unsalted) chicken or beef stock or water

1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

pinch sugar

1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 sprig rosemary

2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

salt

pepper

neutral oil

egg noodles, cooked and tossed with butter and chopped parsley to serve

Directions:

1. Ahead of time, salt the roast on all sides, wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight. Bring meat to cool room temperature before proceeding.


2. Preheat oven to 300. In a 6 quart lidded braising vessel, heat pot to medium-high. Swirl a couple of tablespoons of neutral oil in the pan and heat until shimmering. Sear the beef on all sides, turning with tongs until well-browned on all sides. Remove beef and set aside.

3. In a 6 quart lidded braising vessel, heat pot to medium-high. Swirl a couple of tablespoons of oil in the pan and heat until shimmering. Sear the beef on all sides, turning with tongs until well-browned on all sides. Remove beef and set aside.

4. Add the pancetta, onion, celery and garlic cloves with a pinch of salt and saute until vegetables soften. Add the wine, stock, tomatoes, pinch of sugar, pinch of salt, some grindings of pepper and the vinegar. Bring to a boil, scraping browned bits from bottom of the pot into the sauce. Simmer high for a couple of minutes until liquid reduces almost by half. Snuggle the meat back into the pot with the rosemary and parsley, the liquid should come at least halfway up the sides of the roast, add more if needed. Bring to a boil, put the lid on the pot and place in the oven to roast for one hour.

5. After one hour, turn the meat over and replace the lid. Continue to roast another hour. At the two hour mark, turn the roast again and add the carrots, submerging in the pot liquid. Cover and roast an additional 30 to 45 minutes. The roast is done when it is fork tender.

6. Remove the meat and carrots to a platter. Return pot to the burner and on high, stirring, reduce until pot liquid reduces to desired consistency. Check seasoning. Stir in fresh parsley.

7. Serve roast sliced with pot gravy and carrots.