Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Pat beef dry with paper towels
(this is important as surface
moisture will interfere with browning). Using
cotton kitchen twine, tie roast as show in the photo on the right. Sprinkle with
salt and pepper on all sides.
Place pancetta into a Dutch oven and cook,
stirring occasionally, until crisp. When crisp, remove with a slotted spoon to a
paper towel lined plate; set aside.
Add the prepared chuck roast to the pot and
cook until well browned on both sides. Transfer to a large plate; set aside.
Add the onions, carrots, celery, and tomato
paste to the pot, sautéing and stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin
to soften and brown. Add the garlic, sugar, flour, and the crisp pancetta. Cook,
stirring constantly until well combined and fragrant. Add wine, chile peppers,
and tomatoes; stir with a wooden spoon to release the browned bits on the bottom
of the pan. Add the thyme sprig, thyme leaves, and rosemary sprig.
Return the
browned chuck roast and any accumulated juices to the pot. Bring just to a a
boil and then remove from heat. Cover with a lid and place in the oven.
Using oven-safe glove and tongs, turn the
meat every 45 minutes, and cook until the meat is fork tender and almost falling
apart, approximately 3 hours.
When the meat is done cooking, remove from
the oven, and transfer the meat to a cutting board. Cover with aluminum foil to
keep warm and let the meat rest approximately 15 minutes for juices to settle
and cool a little.
Using a wide shallow spoon, skim the fat off
the surface of the cooking braising sauce. Stir in the fresh parsley leaves.
After resting, slice the roast and serve
with the braising liquid and vegetables.
Don't waste the extra braising sauce
- You will have lots of braising sauce left from this dish. Place the sauce into
the refrigerator overnight and then remove the rest of the congealed fat the
next day. This delicious sauce can be used as a soup base, pasta base, or used
to cook chicken pieces in and then served over pasta. Karen likes to use the
leftover braising sauce in her
Tuscan Frittata with Two Cheeses.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
