Recipes Pot Roast Smothered in Bacon and Onions 4.0 (1,852) Add your rating & review There seems to be a daunting amount of onions in this Portuguese-inspired dish, but with the bacon they cook down to a wonderful, smoky jam surrounding super tender beef.Plus: More Beef Recipes and Tips By Stanley Lobel Stanley Lobel Stanley Lobel is a fifth-generation master butcher and the president of M. Lobel & Sons, Inc., renowned for its high-quality beef. He has co-authored several books on beef, most notably Lobel’s Meat Bible (2009). Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 20, 2019 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Quentin Bacon Active Time: 45 mins Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Yield: 6 Ingredients 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces One 2 1/2-pound beef chuck roast, tied at 1-inch intervals Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 3 pounds onions, very thinly sliced 12 large garlic cloves, chopped 1 1/4 cups water 20 whole allspice berries 10 black peppercorns 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 bay leaf 3 cups dry white wine 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley Directions In a large, enameled cast-iron casserole, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the bacon and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the roast between the strings into four 1-inch-thick slabs. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Working in 2 batches, cook the meat in the casserole over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. Lower the heat to moderate for the second batch if the butter begins to brown too quickly. Remove the strings, keeping the steaks intact, if possible. Preheat the oven to 350°. Add the onions, garlic, 1/4 cup of the water and 1 teaspoon of salt to the casserole. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the casserole, about 8 minutes. Transfer half of the onions to a plate. Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter into the onions in the casserole. Nestle the steaks into the onions, overlapping them slightly if necessary. Add the allspice berries, peppercorns, crushed red pepper and bay leaf and lay half of the reserved bacon over the steaks. Spread the remaining onions and bacon on top. Add the wine and the remaining 1 cup of water and bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over moderately high heat for 5 minutes. Transfer the casserole to the oven and cook for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 250° and continue braising for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the steaks are very tender. Turn the oven off, uncover the casserole and let the meat stand in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve the meat and onions in deep plates; spoon the sauce on top and sprinkle with the parsley. Make Ahead The pot roast can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. Serve With Steamed rice or crusty country bread. Suggested Pairing To drink with this saucy dish, serve a red from Portugal's Douro Valley. The area has always been known for its ports, but it's also producing more and more lush, darkly fruity red table wines from local grape varieties like Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional. Rate it Print