Apple Cider Pot Roast with Creamy Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Tender, slow-cooked apple cider pot roast with cozy fall flavors, made with either a beef or pork roast.
Description
Some dinners just feel like fall, and this is one of them. Chuck roast or pork roast from Dogwood Market, braised low and slow in apple cider with Dijon, sage and a handful of carrots, until it falls apart with a fork. The cider cooks down into a glossy, sweet-savory sauce, and when served alongside creamy roasted garlic mashed potatoes, it becomes the ultimate hearty meal. It’s mostly hands-off, feeds a crowd, and it works with either cut. This tender, slow cooked pot roast infused with cozy fall flavors was adapted from one of our favorite Texan home-cooks, Lauren Taylor of A Bright Moment.
Ingredients:
For the Apple Cider Pot Roast:
- 4 to 6 pounds beef chuck roast or pork shoulder butt roast (sliced into 6 pieces)
- fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced, or 2 large shallots
- 6 garlic cloves sliced
- 6 sage leaves chopped
- 5 cups apple cider the drink, not vinegar!
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 to 1.5 pounds carrots with stems (stems removed and peeled)
For the Creamy Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes:
- 2 heads of garlic tops removed to reveal cloves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- fine sea salt
- 2.5 pounds russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (warmed to touch) + more to desired creamy consistency!
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
Cooking Instructions:
For the Apple Cider Pot Roast:
1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Slice the chuck roast or pork roast into 5-6 cubes for a better sear. Season all sides generously with salt and black peppers.
3. Heat up a large dutch oven over medium high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until hot. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to warm up for 30 seconds, then half the seasoned roast. Let sear untouched for 2 to 3 minutes, until a deeply browned crust forms and it easily lifts. Flip each piece to cook on another side for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and repeat with remaining seasoned roast.
4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, then add the sliced yellow onion, garlic cloves, and chopped sage. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes, until fragrant and slightly browned. Reduce heat to Medium if the aromatics start to brown too quickly.
5. Deglaze with 1/2 cup of the apple cider. Stir until the steam slows down, then add the remaining apple cider. Stir in the dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
6. Add the browned beef or pork back into the dutch oven so it’s fully submerged in the liquids. Add bay leaves and carrots on top.
7. Bring the liquids to a boil, then cover with lid and place in the oven to slow cook for 3 to 4 hours, until beef or pork is super tender.
8. Remove the carrots and roast to a rimmed dish so only the liquids is left in the dutch oven. Place over medium high heat to reduce into a simmer sauce, about 15 to 20 minutes, stir frequently.
9. Serve the shredded beef or pork and carrots over creamy roasted garlic mashed potatoes with a generous drizzle of the simmer sauce.
For the Creamy Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes:
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Add the garlic heads (top trimmed off to reveal cloves) to a small sheet of foil. Drizzle with the olive oil and season lightly with salt. Wrap tightly to help trap steam, then place on the middle rack of the oven to cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until slightly browned and tender.
3. In a large pot filled 3/4ths with water, season very generously with salt before adding the peeled and chopped potatoes. Boil for 20 to 25 minutes, until fork tender and easily breaks apart.
4. Drain the potatoes then place back into the same pot over LOW heat. Use a potato masher or large fork to mash the potatoes. Be careful as steam will escape during this time!
5. Add the roasted garlic and mash to combine.
6. Once mashed, turn heat OFF. Add the warmed heavy cream and butter. Mash until smooth and creamy. Continue adding more whole milk or heavy cream to desired creamy consistency. Season with salt and crushed black pepper to taste.