Barbecue Pot Roast

Adapted from Phillip Stephen Schulz, America the Beautiful Cookbook (Collins/HarperCollins San Francisco, 1990)

Serves: 6–8

This was a favorite dinner-party recipe of my friend Patricia, a classically trained chef. Years later I came across the recipe in America the Beautiful Cookbook, which I had on my shelf.

You can cook this in a 350°F oven (what I do) or on the stovetop. Why two methods—choose oven if your stovetop is busy; choose stovetop if your oven is full. Both work.

For the Meat
1 boneless chuck roast (3½–4 lb) (Brisket works well too.)
1 garlic clove, halved
1 small onion, chopped
A little vegetable oil (I use grapeseed)

For the Sauce
I usually double the sauce so there’s plenty for serving; amounts below are the single batch.
½ cup broth (made with Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base or chicken)
400 g can of Italian tomatoes (or an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce)*
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
¼ tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
½ tsp Colman’s English dry mustard
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Chopped parsley, for garnish

*If you use a 400 g can (800 g if doubling) of Italian tomatoes, pass it through the smallest holes of a food mill. I use an OXO; it is easy to use, wash, and store. If not using tomatoes, use an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce (14–16 ounces if doubling).

Brown the meat. Rub the roast with the cut side of the garlic clove. In a heavy, lidded pot or Dutch oven, heat a little oil over medium to medium-high. Brown the roast on all sides; remove to a plate.

Soften the onion. Lower heat to medium. Add onion; sauté until golden but not browned.

Start the braise. Return the meat to the pot on top of the onions. Add half of the broth. Cover. Oven method: bake at 350°F for 1 hour. Stovetop method: simmer very gently for 1 hour—liquid should barely bubble.

Mix the sauce. In a jar, combine tomato sauce (or milled tomatoes), brown sugar, paprika, dry mustard, lemon juice, ketchup, cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and the remaining broth. Shake to mix.

Finish cooking. Pour the sauce over the meat, cover, and continue. Oven: bake 1½ hours more. Stovetop: simmer 1½ hours more at the lowest steady simmer.

Rest and slice. Transfer the roast to a board; rest 10–15 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain on a slight diagonal.

Adjust the sauce. If the sauce seems thin, simmer it uncovered to a barbecue-sauce consistency—not too thick, since it doubles as gravy.

I bring food to the table “service à l’assiette,” a French term meaning the food is plated individually rather than served from a large dish on the table. If serving family style, arrange slices on a platter. Spoon about a quarter of the sauce over the meat; sprinkle with parsley. Serve the remaining sauce alongside. Mashed potatoes go well  with this dish.