Lola Rugula

If you’ve followed my site for a while then you know how much I love braising and oven roasting things, especially in the winter.  Seriously, who doesn’t love a great pot roast recipe? This year, we joined my parents in going in on a side of beef from Weber Meats in Cuba City, WI so now we have a freezer full of roastable meat, such as short ribs, soup bones, oven roasts, and braising roasts.

This recipe is perfect for a big arm or blade roast.

These roasts are humble cuts of meat – inexpensive cuts that will yield delicious results if you cook them right. They can vary a little in size and appearance, depending on the angle they are cut from. My favorite way to make these are by braising; browning and then slowly roasting with a cover, along with a bit of liquid, veggies, and herbs – until the meat practically falls off the bone. If you’re craving a tender pot roast, these cuts work beautifully. These cuts are typically marbled with fat, which is part of what eventually helps it break down into a tender chunk of deliciousness.

If you want to make more of a classic style roast with potatoes (or parsnips!) here’s how:

Braised Arm or Blade Roast Recipe

• 1 arm or blade roast 2-3 lbs.
• 1 teaspoon each coarse sea or kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 teaspoons dried)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1 can Guinness or other dark stout (you can absolutely replace the beer with stock or even water)
• 4-6 medium red potatoes

Preheat oven to 350º

Pat beef dry with a paper towel and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and stir, cooking until soft and lightly brown, about 5 minutes. Scoop out and place in a roasting pan. Increase heat to medium-high and add beef. Let brown for at least 5 minutes and then flip, browning at least 5 minutes on the other side. I also like to tip mine on its side with a pair of tongs and brown the fat for a minute or two.

Transfer the beef to the roasting pan and top with some of the onions and garlic. Add the herbs. Making sure the heat is off, add the bottle of beer (or stock) to the hot skillet and stir, scraping up the crispy bits from the bottom. My cast iron pan is usually still pretty hot when I add the beer, so the heat really helps loosen up those bits. Slowly pour the beer and pan drippings over the roast.

Cover the pan tightly and bake for 1 hour. Add potatoes, replace cover and then reduce the oven temperature to 325. Continue cooking for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until beef is fork-tender. Remove from oven and let rest, covered, for 15 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

If you want a delicious alternative to serving potatoes with this, a perfect side to pot roast for me is creamy mashed cauliflower (which my husband also loves). Here’s how I make it:

Creamy Mashed Cauliflower Recipe

• 1 large head of cauliflower, main stem removed and cut into large florets
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper (or more, to taste)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves pan-roasted garlic (a couple of smashed garlic cloves, pan roasted in a drizzle of olive oil)

Place cauliflower florets in a large pan, add 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a healthy simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is fork-tender. Drain and return cauliflower to pan.

Add the remaining ingredients and mash well with a potato masher, stirring and mashing as you go, until they’re nice and creamy.

That’s it! Simple, right? Some people like to add chicken or veggie stock to theirs but I like mine with some substance to them and not too runny. If these are too thick for you, feel free to add a bit of stock.

Also, if you love braising and oven-roasting as much as I do, here are a few of my other recipes, such as braised beef brisket with caramelized onions,  braised beef brisket with veggies, oven roasted pulled pork, crispy roast duck,  oven-roasted Brussels sprouts, and oven roasted tomatoes. You can also roast soup bones for a flavorful and beneficial stock.

Now you know how to make an arm or blade roast and even have a couple of serving ideas for one. Happy braising!