Hearty Blade Pot Roast with Brussels Sprouts

Pot roasts are the perfect wintertime, no muss, no fuss meal.  They are warm and comforting yet about as easy to make with very little prep work.  The nice thing about pot roast is you can use just about any cut of beef as well as any combination of vegetables desired.  A blade roast is typically used for a pot roast because it is a cheaper cut of meat with a lot of connective tissue that doesn't lend itself well to cooking using dry heat methods.  Not that it can't be done and in fact we like using a small blade roast on the grill.  We are in the process of eating from the freezer to use up the remaining meat before ordering our beef on the hoof shortly.  It's a good thing it is wintertime as I have a few roasts to use up!

One way to tenderize tougher cuts of meat is to use an acidic ingredient.  Tomatoes are acidic enough to help tenderize beef.  One of my favourite tomato products for this purpose is tomato stock.  It tenderizes while adding a lovely, subtle flavour.  I decided to add a bit more of a pronounced tomato flavour to this pot roast using whole tomatoes instead.  Then I brought in the warm, comforting flavour of potatoes combined with the sweetness of whole Brussels sprouts. The tomato flavour not only accents the beef but highlights the Brussels sprouts.  The meal was a huge success! 

Hearty Blade Pot Roast with Brussels Sprouts
recipe by: Garden Gnome

3 lb blade roast
1 L home canned tomatoes
500 ml (2 c) water or tomato stock
1 bayleaf
1 medium onion
1 tsp Herbes de Provence
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
sea salt/fresh ground pepper
2 small poatoes
2 c Brussels sprouts

Place the roast in countertop roaster or if cooking in the oven, use a covered roasting pan.  Purée the tomatoes in food blender.  Pour the tomatoes over the roast.  Add bayleaf, sliced onion, Herbes de Provence, Worcestershire sauce, stock, salt and pepper.  Set temperature to 275ºF.  Cook for 2 hours.  Wash potatoes then cut into bite sized pieces.  Add to the roaster.  Continue cooking for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Trim and wash Brussels sprouts.  Pour over potatoes.  Cook until tender but not mushy.  Remove from roaster and serve hot.

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