In both of his Downtown hotspots — Meat & Potatoes and the "cocktail-driven" Butcher and the Rye — seasonality plays a huge role in chef Richard DeShantz's comfort-style cooking. "There are so many culinary opportunities in what the seasons bring us," DeShantz says.
So DeShantz, a self-described "supporter of going back to the classics," is the perfect person to offer up a post-vortex winter recipe: pot roast.
He suggests starting with the best cut of meat and searing it before braising, to seal in flavor. After that, this dish can cook all day on the stove while you relax by the fire. That's part of the point, explains DeShantz, who says that winter means staying in, being with friends and enjoying home-cooked meals.
"The best foods are the ones we remember as children and that bring back nostalgia," he says. "I'd love to see the classics pop up all winter long."
Chef DeShantz's Pot Roast (Serves 8-10)
5 lbs. chuck blade roast
4 carrots
4 stalks celery
2 onions
4 cups diced tomatoes
5 sprigs rosemary
5 sprigs thyme
1 bulb garlic, peeled
Chicken stock, to cover roast
2 cups red wine
Salt and pepper
1. Rub roast with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Then place roast on a roasting rack in oven at 550° (or as high as you can) for 20 minutes, until it has a deep brown color. Remove roast from oven, and let rest.
2. Place layer of carrots, onions and celery on the bottom of a pot large enough to hold roast. Place the roast on top, then add remaining vegetables. Add garlic bulb, rosemary, thyme, red wine and chicken stock.
3. Cover and cook in oven at 350° for about 3 hours, until roast is tender. Remove roast from liquid, discard rosemary and thyme.
4. Put pot on med-high flame and reduce liquid by half. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Return roast to liquid and keep warm until ready to serve. Serve with mashed potatoes.
