Spicy Pot Roast with Oranges, Sweet Potatoes, and Calabrian Chile Gremolata Recipe

Spicy Pot Roast with Oranges, Sweet Potatoes, and Calabrian Chile Gremolata

4.8

(6)

9 Reviews

Whole orange segments and freshly squeezed orange juice and zest give this hearty winter braise a burst of fresh citrus flavor. Creamy sweet potatoes and celery root along with tender beef chuck fill out this satisfyingly hearty meal.

Kelsey Jane Youngman

Updated on August 2, 2023

Tested by

Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Spicy Pot Roast with Oranges, Sweet Potatoes, and Calabrian Chile Gremolata Recipe — Photo: John Kernick

Active Time:

40 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs 10 mins

Yield:

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil, divided
1 (4-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed
4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
2 oranges, divided
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cups unsalted beef stock or water
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled San Marzano plum tomatoes, crushed
3 whole Calabrian chiles in oil, divided
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound celery root, turnips, or rutabagas, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup packed chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Crusty bread, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Season chuck roast with salt and pepper. Add chuck roast to Dutch oven, and sear, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a plate, and set aside.
Scrub 1 orange, and cut into 8 wedges; discard seeds and core, and set aside. Add onion to Dutch oven; cook over medium, stirring and scraping bottom of pan often with a wooden spoon, until onion is soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. (Add 1/4 cup water while cooking onion if too many browned bits accumulate.) Add beef stock, tomatoes, 1 chile, and orange wedges; bring to a boil. Return chuck roast and any accumulated juices to pan; bring to a simmer over high.
Cover and transfer to preheated oven; braise 1 hour and 30 minutes. Uncover and stir in sweet potato and celery root. Return to oven, and braise, uncovered, until meat and vegetables are tender but not falling apart, 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and let rest 15 minutes. Transfer chuck roast to a work surface; shred into large pieces. Skim off fat from Dutch oven, and discard. Return shredded beef to Dutch oven.
While meat rests, zest remaining orange to equal 1 tablespoon zest and squeeze to yield 3 tablespoons juice. Finely chop remaining 2 chiles to equal 1 tablespoon. Stir together parsley, orange zest and juice, chopped chiles, and remaining 1/4 cup oil; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide roast mixture evenly among bowls; top with parsley mixture. Serve with crusty bread.