Achiote Chuck Roast with Oven Polenta

Pot Roast is an easy-to-prepare, comforting meal, but sometimes it's good to spice up traditional recipes to stop our taste buds from becoming jaded. This recipe uses achiote paste (available at Latin markets), mixed with orange and lime juice, to create a wonderful flavor base for cooking the pot roast. Achiote paste has wonderful, rich, earthy flavors and is great for marinating beef, chicken, or pork.

As with all braises, the cooking is started on the cooktop, then all the ingredients are combined in a Dutch oven and braised for several hours in the oven until the meat is fork-tender.  Using a convection mode doesn't make the cooking faster, as the meat still requires long, slow cooking to achieve fork-tender results.  However, you can add a pan of polenta to the oven during the final hour of cooking for an easy oven meal, and the polenta pairs beautifully with the pot roast.

INGREDIENTS

For the Chuck Roast

3 tbsp achiote paste

¼ cup orange juice

1 lime, juiced

2 - 3 lbs chuck roast

2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil

1 onion, cut into 1” thick slices

3 carrots peeled and cut into thick diagonal slices

2 jalapeno peppers, sliced (optional)

4 cloves garlic, smashed

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

3  cups beef stock

For the Polenta

1 cup polenta

2 tbsp butter

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

½ cup milk

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 325°F (163C) in Convection Bake mode.

Combine the achiote paste with the orange and lime juices to form a paste, then set it aside.

Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels, then season it with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat an oven-safe Dutch oven over moderate heat, add the oil, and increase the heat to medium-high.  Add the chuck roast and sear on all sides until nicely browned.  Remove the meat and set it aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and sauté the onion for a few minutes to soften. Add the carrots, garlic, jalapeno, and herbs, and cook for a few minutes to soften. Place the browned chuck roast over the vegetables and add the achiote orange juice mixture and 3 cups of beef stock.

Cover the pan and place it in the oven on rack position 2 (counting up from the bottom) and cook for 2 ½ hours until very tender and easy to separate with a fork.  Serve with the oven polenta and a sprinkle of chopped fresh cilantro.

To cook the polenta, combine the polenta, butter, chicken stock, and water in an oven-safe pan with a tight-fitting lid, adding ½ tsp of kosher salt. Place in the oven and cook for 50 minutes. At the 40-minute mark, carefully remove the lid from the polenta, add the milk, and stir to combine. Replace the lid and return the pan to the oven to cook for another 10 minutes.

Serves 4 - 6

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