Weekly Recipe: Chef Nyesha Arrington's French Onion Style Pot Roast

Take two winter staples, the kind that will not only warm but fill you up, too, and whip them into a new school classic. That's what Chef Nyesha Arrington achieves with her French Onion styled Pot Roast, and you can, too!

Born to a multi-cultural family, Nyesha Arrington was introduced to a variety of foods and cuisines from a young age. Her dishes are characterized by the integration of different flavors and techniques from around the world, creating her own take on classical dishes. She partnered with Eater’s Plateworthy YouTube series to make the noteworthy dish. This pot roast is delightfully cheesy, while the caramelized onions infuse the broth and the meat, bringing that comforting flavor into the roast.

This recipe starts with a good piece of chuck roast. The more marbling and pockets of fat the meat has, the juicer and more tender it will be. After a strong sear, a dry mix of french onion soup is added to the chuck, almost like a crust that will dissolve in the oven.

The key is as easy as ABC – “always be caramelizing,” Arrington says. The caramelized onions, the sear and a dash of ketchup bring a sweetness reminiscent of the classic soup. Arringtton adds the ketchup to the top of her Pot Roast before it enters the oven for a sweet tang.

The finishing touch is the plating. After throwing your toasted baguette topped with cheese into the oven, Arrington recommends leaving it in the broiler until the cheese is “a little bit burned, [but with] a lot of char.” Place a piece of the roast, scoop some thick broth on top and enjoy the warmth.

Ingredients

For Pot Roast

• 3 lbs Chuck Roast (trimmed)

• 4 oz Provolone cheese

• 1 French Baguette, thickly sliced

• 4 tbsp Grape-seed oil

• 2 oz Butter

• 2 yellow Onions

• 1 bottle Sherry

• 5 sprigs fresh Thyme

• 2 fresh Bay Leaves

• 2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley

• 2 qts Beef stock

• 1 cup ketchup

• Salt and pepper to taste

For French Onion Soup Mix

• 1oz beef bouillon powder

• ½ cup dehydrated onion flakes

• ½ tsp onion powder

• ½ tsp paprika

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp kosher salt

• ½ tsp black pepper

Special Equipment

• Cast iron skillet

• Cocotte (dutch oven)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 275ºF degrees.
2. Start by thinly slicing the onions into about ¼’’ moons and caramelizing them over medium-high heat. Then set aside.
3. Heat grape-seed oil and 1 tbsp of butter over medium heat in a cast iron skillet.
4. Sear beef on all sides for about 5 min, continuously basting with the remaining of the butter and 1 sprig of thyme.
5. Remove beef from the skillet and add to dutch oven.
6. Cover beef with a layer of ketchup.
7. In a small bowl, toss together the french onion soup mix ingredients and combine. Then sprinkle over seared chuck roast.
8. Add heated beef stock into the dutch oven until it is nearly ½ filled.
9. Sprinkle caramelized onions along the side and on top of chuck roast.
10. Add ¼ cup Sherry to dutch oven.
11. Place fresh thyme sprigs, Italian parsley, and bay leaves around and on top of the chuck roast and cover with lid.
12. Place into the oven and roast for 3 to 3.5 hours, or until tender.
13. Rest beef in stock until cooled.
14. Strain jus and set aside.
15. Slice and lightly toast baguette.
16. Top with a generous amount of provolone cheese and melt in a broiler for 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted and slightly brûléed.
17. Slice rested beef against the grain and place on top of cheesy baguette.
18. Serve with broth and enjoy!

Read more on the recipe at Eater.