How Chef Nyesha Arrington Makes French Onion Pot Roast

December 16, 2020 Admin 0 Comments

The chef and ‘Plateworthy’ host mashes up two of her favorite recipes

Chef Nyesha Arrington couples two of her favorite recipes — French onion soup and pot roast — by combining the soup’s elements of caramelized onions and broiled cheese with the roast’s savory juices.

She starts by caramelizing the onions on medium high heat: “A.B.C. Always be caramelizing.” As the onions are simmering, she seasons the chuck roast with salt, and sears the outside of the meat in a pan full of melted butter and thyme.

Next, she makes the French onion soup-inspired seasoning with dehydrated onions, dehydrated beef powder, paprika, onion powder, and dehydrated garlic. After sprinkling it on top of the roast, she adds a layer of ketchup. “I know it looks funky, I know it’s weird, but this ketchup is going to create a kind of caramelized crust on the top that’s going to be amazing,” she says. She tops the roast with the caramelized onions and puts it in a dutch oven, then roasts it in the oven for three and a half hours.

Lastly, she pushes French onion soup concept one step further. She toasts pieces of bread to make crostini, and broils cheese on top. Once it’s grilled to her liking, she adds a slice of the roast, and bathes the entire dish in its jus. See the recipe below.

Pot Roast

Yields 10-12 servings

Ingredients

3lbs lb Chuck Roast (trimmed)

4oz Provolone Cheese

1 French Baguette, thick sliced

4 TBSP Grapeseed Oil

2oz Butter

2ea yellow Onions (Sliced in ¼” half moons)

1 Bottle Sherry

Salt/Pepper

5 sprigs Thyme, fresh

2ea Bay Leaves, fresh

2 TBSP Italian Parsley, fresh

2qts Beef Stock

1cup Ketchup

French Onion Soup Mix

½ Cup Dehydrated Onion Flakes

1 oz Beef Bouillon Powder

½ TSP Onion Powder

½ TSP Paprika

¼ TSP Garlic Powder

½ TSP Kosher Salt

¼ TSP Black Pepper

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 275f degrees
2. In a small bowl toss together french onion soup mix ingredients and combine. Set aside.
3. Heat grapeseed oil & 1 tbl butter over medium heat in a pan. Sear beef on all sides for about 5 minutes.
4. Remove beef and add to dutch oven.
5. Cover beef with layer of ketchup
6. Sprinkle french onion soup mix over chuck roast.
7. Sprinkle onions along the side and on top of chuck roast.
8. Add beef stock or until dutch oven is nearly ½ filled
9. Add ¼ cup Sherry to dutch oven
10. Place fresh thyme sprigs, italian parsley and bay leaves around/on top of chuck roast and cover.
11. Roast for 3 hours or until tender
12. Rest beef in beef stock until cooled
13. Strain jus and set aside
14. Slice and toast baguette
15. Slice rested beef and place on top of toasted baguette
16. Top with provolone cheese and melt in broiler for 3 minutes or until cheese is fully melted and slightly brûléed
17. Serve with broth and enjoy!