When Austin and I first got married we were lucky enough to receive a Dutch oven as a wedding gift. This was one of the first meals that I ever made for us and it has remained a staple in our home over the years. This meal makes a cold day seem cozy, a hectic day slow down and an empty tummy full again. 

For the Roast:

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lbs of Chuck Roast, cut into large pieces (about 4”x 4” x4”) 
• 2 large yellow onions, chopped
• 1-2 Red Bell Peppers, chopped  (if you like spice add a hotter pepper)
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• ½ cup of olive oil
• ¾ cup of red wine
• 32-28oz jar of crushed tomatoes with liquid
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ¾  cup of red wine vinegar 
• 3 tablespoons of salt
• 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1-3 cups of beef/bone broth (if desired)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °.
2. Put meat in a large bowl and mix with 2 tablespoons of salt, 4 garlic cloves, and pepper. 
3. In a large dutch oven on medium heat add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and brown each piece of meat on all sides and then set aside the meat in a heatproof bowl. 
4. In the same large dutch oven over medium heat add onions, peppers, 2 cloves of garlic, ¼ cup of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of salt until onions and pepper are soft. 
5. Add red wine to the onion mixture and let simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add tomatoes, brown sugar and red wine vinegar and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
7. Taste the sauce. This is the time to make any changes. If the sauce tastes too sweet or too tangy for you, or if you think the sauce will not cover all the meat you can add beef broth as needed and mix well. Let the sauce come to a simmer and taste again.      
8. Cover the dutch oven tightly with a lid and place in the oven and let it slowly cook for 3-4 hours. Be sure to check on it every hour to make sure the liquid is still over the meat. Add a bit of broth if needed. 
9. Pull out of the oven and serve warm. 
10. Serve on top of the polenta.  

For the Polenta: 

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup of cornmeal/polenta
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ stick of butter
• 2 cups of Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 teaspoons of salt (and more to taste)
• Black ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large heavy duty Dutch oven, bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. 
2. Bring down heat to low, add polenta and mix well. Cover the pot with the top and cook on low for 25 minutes. 
3. Take off the top and add cream and butter and continue to cook unless butter and cream are mixed well. About 10 minutes. 
4. Turn off the heat and stir in parmesan and salt and pepper to taste. 
5. Serve immediately.

Watch the reel here!

Enjoy,

Elizabeth