Holiday Roast Recipe

So you’re thinking about beef for the holidays this year. You’re a smart Christmas cookie, so you know you need to come up with a tasty and impressive holiday roast recipe. If you’re reading this right now (the middle of December), you’re in a bit of a good news/bad news situation.

The Bad News First – It’s the middle of December. You’re already busy hitting all sorts of office holiday shindigs, Hanukkah feasts, Christmas parties and Kwanzaa celebrations. You still have shopping to do and you haven’t even thought about what you’re doing for food for your own family. Plus, since you still have some gifts to buy, so you need to keep your budget under control.

The Good News – Snow Creek Ranch is on it! We have the perfect last minute holiday roast beef recipe for you! It’s succulent, looks great on the plate, is relatively easy to make, and convenient because you can do some of it ahead of time! And it’s fairly easy on the pocketbook too, because it’s a cut of beef that is often overlooked when it comes to impressive party foods.

Most Holiday Roast Recipes Are Created for Expensive Cuts

When most folks start to plan their holiday party foods, for beef they usually go to Tenderloin or Prime Rib Roasts first. And for good reason! Those are prime cuts of meat – tender and delicious. There’s a big but however. Two big buts, in fact. Those cuts are pretty expensive, especially if you need a large one, and they’re often scarce at the butcher shop if you wait too long to order them.

I’m about to suggest a substitute you don’t see too often when it comes to holiday roast beef recipes. An honest to goodness, dinner party quality chuck roast recipe.

Pretty much everybody loves a good chuck roast. They make an outstanding traditional pot roast the way your grandma used to do it. But as tasty as those are, they’re not usually very pretty – more appropriate for weeknight comfort food than for a showy centerpiece entree.

For this recipe, your friends and family are going to think you spent hours tweaking and perfecting both the look and the flavors until they’re just right. But honestly, this chuck roast recipe only takes about 20 minutes of prep work, and the oven does the rest!

But you’ll be super satisfied knowing that you put together this awesome holiday roast recipe.

8. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the Dutch oven
9. Add the carrots, onions, celery, leeks, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned
10. Add the wine and Cognac and bring to a boil
11. Add the tomatoes, beef stock, bouillon cube, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper
12. Tie the thyme and rosemary together with kitchen twine and add to the pot
13. Put the roast back into the pot, bring to a boil, and cover
14. Place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender or about 160 degrees F internally
15. Turn the heat down to 250 degrees F after about an hour to keep the sauce at a simmer
16. Remove the roast to a cutting board
17. Remove the herb bundle and discard. Skim off as much fat as possible from the sauce
18. Transfer half the sauce and vegetables to a blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until smooth
19. Pour the puree back into the pot, place on the stovetop over low heat, and return the sauce to a simmer
20. Place 2 tablespoons flour and the butter in a small bowl and mash them together with a fork
21. Stir into the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring until thickened. Taste for seasonings
22. Remove the strings from the roast, and slice the meat
23. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over it