Italian porcini pot roast with creamy polenta

Inspired by a stash of dried porcini in my pantry, and by my upcoming trip to Italy, I made this pot roast.  Porcini are in season in Tuscany now, and I hope to find someone to take me hunting into the hills for the "King of Mushrooms".

Dried porcini, or cepe, give the sauce its earthiness.

I made this meal for friends who were nesting at home with their newborn baby girl.  New parents are always happy, hungry and tired, and a hearty meal with enough for leftovers makes a nice gift.

Giovannina and newborn baby Soleil

The pot roast comes together easily by first searing the meat in a pan, then braising the vegetables and making a sauce.  Then it goes into a Crock-Pot for 4-6 hours, allowing the flavors to marry and the meat to tenderize.  You can also braise the pot roast in the oven for about 3 hours.  I have made this both ways, and can't say that I have a preference.  Either way, your house will smell delicious, and everyone who walks by the kitchen will be tempted to lift the lid of the Crock-Pot and inhale it's tomatoey, garlicky aroma. 

My nonna would have called this an Italian gravy.

Italian porcini pot roast gets some of its heady aroma from the red wine used in the sauce.  You don't need to bring out the best wine for this recipe.  An inexpensive bottle that is good enough to drink will be fine.  I favor a Crianza or a Rhone for cooking.  A small glass is nice to have while preparing dinner, and if you cork it tightly, you can use the rest in another dish within a few days.


If the wine sits in your pantry for more than a few days, the oxidation process may change the flavor, and you won't want to cook with it.  Unused wine can also be frozen with good results, and is nice to have on hand if you want to spruce up a dish. 

Mosen Cleto crianza, about $10 at Jackson Whole Grocer.

Creamy polenta is the obvious choice to soak up the "Italian gravy", as my nonna would have called the sauce.  Garlic mashed potatoes would also sop up the juices nicely.  

Creamy polenta is drizzled with white truffle oil, and topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

This creamy polenta recipe comes from a cooking class I took from Mary Woollen here in Jackson Hole.  First, Mary cooks the polenta on the stove, with the requisite stirring for about 5 minutes.  Then she finishes it off in the oven.  Brilliant, and it turns out perfect every time, without the usual constant surveillance.


I'll share more of Mary's recipes next month.   Her Morrocan chicken with preserved lemons and olives is a great dinner party entree.  The last time I served Morrocan chicken, a foodie friend dubbed it "the Best Chicken Dish Ever."

Pot roast is perfect for now. A food hug.

Italian porcini pot roast

This recipe makes enough for 4 hungry people, with leftovers.  It is one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day.  A version of this recipe appeared in Bon Appetit in 2006.  I have successfully doubled this recipe by using two 3 pound chuck roasts and using the oven braising method. 

• 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 cup beef or chicken broth
• olive oil, a few Tbsp. for sauteeing
• 1 4 pound boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed of fat
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 4 garlic cloves, minced through a garlic press, or chopped fine
• 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, marjoram, or thyme, or a combination of herbs,  finely chopped
• 1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
• 1 cup dry red wine
• coarse salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F, or get out the slow cooker.
2. Bring broth to a simmer in a saucepan.  Remove from the heat, add the dried mushrooms and cover.  Let "steep" until soft, about 20 minutes, then pour over a fine sieve to separate the mushrooms from the broth.
3. Chop the mushrooms coarsely, and set aside with the broth.
4. Sprinkle the beef with coarse salt and pepper.
5. Heat oil in a large, ovenproof pot over medium-high heat.  Add the beef and brown on all sides.  To properly "sear" the meat, let the roast brown without moving it around.  Once it is obviously browned, flip it to another side.  If you turn the meat too early, it may stick to the pan.
6. Transfer the roast to a plate.  Pour off all but 1 Tbsp. of drippings from the pan, and then saute the onion and celery in the same pan on medium heat.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.
7. Add garlic, herbs, and the porcini mushrooms.  Saute for 1 minute or so.
8. Using your hands, crush the tomatoes, one at a time, into the pot.  You could also use an immersion blender for this, but you don't want the tomatoes overly pureed; leave them a bit chunky.
9. Cook the tomatoes with the onion mixture for about 3 minutes, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate the brown bits from braising the meat. 
10. Add red wine; boil 5 minutes.
11. Have a glass of your inexpensive crianza while you wait and stir the pot. 
12. Add reserved broth (from steeping the porcini); boil another 5 minutes.
13. If using a slow cooker, transfer the roast now and pour in all the accumulated juices.  Pour the sauce over, flip the roast over a few times and cover.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
14. If braising in the oven, return the roast and any juices back to the pot.  Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven.  Turn the roast over, and then bake another 1 1/2 hours.  
15. Once the roast is done,  transfer the meat to a plate and tent with foil.  Spoon off any fat from the surface of the pot.  Bring the "Italian gravy" to a boil on the stovetop, and reduce for about 10 minutes.  Taste.  Season with salt and pepper as needed.
16. You can now slice the roast, and serve with the sauce spooned over.  Or you can serve the roast family style, and pull it apart into chunks with a big fork.  We tend to favor the hacking-away-with-a-fork method, but slicing would make for a prettier presentation.
17. Serve with polenta, or garlic mashed potatoes.  Garnish with fresh herbs if you like.

Creamy Parmesan Polenta

This is Mary Woollen's recipe, modified slightly.  Thanks Mary! She adds a tablespoon of minced fresh tarragon to the polenta, which gives it a unique flavor, but rosemary or thyme would also be nice.  I have omitted the herbs here, since there are plenty in the pot roast.

This yields 10 small portions, or 6 larger ones.  Even if you aren't feeding a crowd, make the whole batch; leftover polenta is wonderful to have stashed in the fridge.  I like to fry up a few wedges in olive oil and eat alongside scrambled eggs with a sliced tomato.  As an appetizer, top fried wedges with gorgonzola cheese and steamed broccoli spears; or chopped tomatoes, basil and garlic; or an olive tapenade.  

The polenta can be served directly from the pan, or transferred to a pretty serving dish before baking.

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 tsp. kosher or coarse salt
• 1 1/3 cup cornmeal, coarsely ground (such as Bob's Red Mill brand)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 Tbsp. white truffle oil, for drizzling (optional)

Bob's Red Mill Polenta has the perfect consistency for this dish. You can also find coarse polenta in the bulk bins at Jackson Whole Grocer.

1. Saute the onions and garlic in a heavy medium sized saucepan with the olive oil.
2. When translucent, add milk and water.  Bring to a boil.  
3. Add 2 tsp. salt.
4. Gradually add the cornmeal and boil rapidly for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Cover the pot, and place it in a 350 degree oven. Or, transfer it to a ceramic 8" x 8" pan and cover with foil.  Bake 30 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, and drizzle with truffle oil. 

Welcome to the world, Soleil!