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Sunday Pot Roast With Vegetables

ENTREE

Long, slow cooking and the secret ingredient — coffee — make this a killer pot roast. This recipe belongs to Culinary School of Fort Worth founder Judie Byrd. She thinks the coffee adds a mysterious depth of flavor. We add aromatic vegetables and orange juice to her family recipe for an even more flavorful braise. If you like, you can finish the dish by sprinkling a mixture of chopped Italian parsley, grated orange zest and fine-chopped garlic over the meat and vegetables just before serving.

• 1 (2- to 2 1/2-pound) boneless chuck roast or tri-tip roast

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 3 teaspoons salt or to taste, divided

• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh-ground black pepper or to taste, divided

• 6 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut into large chunks, divided

• 3 medium onions, quartered, divided

• 2 ribs celery with leaves, cut into large chunks

• 1 or 2 bay leaves

• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, unpeeled

• 1 cup strong coffee

• 1 large orange, halved and juiced

• About 2 cups chicken stock

• 12 medium red or white new potatoes

Trim any large deposits of fat from roast. Salt and pepper roast on both sides, using about 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.

In a Dutch oven or large, heavy cooking pot with lid, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add roast to hot oil and cook until well-browned on both sides.

Add 2 carrots, 1 onion and the celery to the pan, tucking vegetables under roast. Add bay leaves and unpeeled garlic cloves to pan.

Add coffee, orange juice and enough chicken stock to come almost halfway up the side of the roast. Add orange halves and juice to pan. Cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer about 2 hours, or until meat falls apart when prodded with a fork. Remove spent vegetables and orange halves from pan with tongs.

Add new potatoes, remaining 4 carrots and remaining 2 onions to pan, cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Remove roast and vegetables to serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Strain liquid, discarding solids, and return to pan. Turn heat under pan to high and allow liquid to boil until reduced to about 2 cups. Taste and correct seasoning, if necessary. Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 627 calories, 29 grams total fat, 87 milligrams cholesterol, 61 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams total fiber, 34 grams protein, 1,209 milligrams sodium.

Adapted by Amy Culbertson, of McClatchy Newspapers, from Judie Byrd, founder of the Culinary School of Fort Worth, Texas.