Pot Roast

Prep: 30 minutes

Cook: About 2 ½ hours

Serves: 6

Beef chuck roast, about 2 1/2 pounds

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 carrot, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 cups beef broth

1 cup red wine

6 ounces tomato paste

2 bay leaves

1 sprig fresh thyme

8 ounces pappardelle egg noodles

1. Season: Sprinkle meat with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper per pound (so a 2-pound roast, for example, would require 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper). Best to do this in advance — even a day or two in advance — and keep covered in the fridge. But if you don’t have time, don’t fret.

2. Soak: Settle mushrooms in a small bowl. Cover with warm water. Soak soft, about 15 minutes. Pour liquid through a coffee filter; set aside. Rinse and chop the rehydrated mushrooms.

3. Brown: Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown meat, about 2 minutes per side. Lift out meat and set aside.

4. Soften: Reduce heat under pot to medium. Scrape in carrot, onion, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Pour in broth, wine, tomato paste, and reserved mushroom liquid. Toss in chopped mushrooms, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a boil. Return meat to the pot. Liquid should come about 2/3 the way up the sides of the roast. Cover.

5. Braise: Slide covered Dutch oven into a 325-degree oven and let cook, turning roast once, until very tender when prodded with a fork, about 2 – 2 ½ hours. Set pot on stovetop.

6. Shred: Remove roast from pot. Shred the meat, discarding any fat. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprig. Return shredded meat to pot and keep warm over low heat.

7. Boil: Heat a large pot of salted water. Cook noodles until tender but firm. Drain. Add noodles to sauce. Toss gently. Enjoy.

Provenance: Adapted from Mom’s beef with fat noodles, which she adapted from The New York Times Cookbook by Craig Claiborne(1961 edition).