Pot Roast and Popovers

Ingredients

For the Pot Roast:
3 pounds beef chuck, tied
Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
Olive or vegetable oil, for liberal drizzling
1/2 stick butter, divided
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
1 can beef consommé

Herb bundle of sage, marjoram, parsley
2 fresh bay leaves
3 to 4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks on the bias
2 to 3 ribs celery, cut into chunks on the bias
2 medium onions, quartered, root end attached
12 small potatoes, halved
Watercress leaves, for garnish
For the Popovers:
5 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 organic eggs
A couple of pinches of salt

Yields: 6

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Aggressively season roast with salt and pepper.

Heat Dutch oven over medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil, half a turn of the pan. Once oil is hot, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add meat and brown well all over. Remove meat to a platter and reduce heat a bit. Add remaining butter, garlic and shallots. Stir a minute or two, add tomato paste and stir until fragrant. Add in wine and reduce by half. Add consommé, herbs and bay; stir to combine. Add carrots, celery, onions and potatoes, and set roast on top. Cover pan and roast 2 1/2 to 3 hours until very tender. Let stand, covered, while popovers bake.

To serve remove twine, slice, serve with vegetables alongside, meat juices spooned over top.

When meat comes out of oven raise temp to 400°F.

Place muffin tin in the oven to heat. Melt butter in a small pot.

In a large bowl whisk up flour, 3 tablespoons melted butter, milk, eggs and salt. Do not over mix. Remove muffin tin from oven and brush cups with 2 tablespoons of butter. Divide batter among the muffin cups and bake 30 minutes until browned and puffed. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR UNTIL POPOVERS ARE DONE OR THEY WILL FALL.

When popovers are just about to come out of the oven, remove twine from the roast and slice. Plate meat with veggies alongside and juices spooned over the top of everything.

Serve popovers immediately with more butter or beef juices for mopping.