- 1 2 kilo (4 lb) boneless beef pot roast, tied up
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 2 onions, peeled and finely diced
- 2 sticks celery, peeled and finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 4 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 star anise
- 2 wide strips orange zest
- ¼ cup whiskey
- 1 ½ cups beer
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 sewed (or 2 potatoes) peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Pat the roast beef dry, season the outside well with salt and pepper.
In a Dutch oven, or a heavy bottomed pot with a secure lid, heat the oil over medium high heat. Brown the meat on all sides, turning with tongs, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the meat to a large plate.
Add the carrots, onions and celery to the now empty pot, season with salt and pepper and cook until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, and orange rind to the pot, stir.
Add the whisky, and using a wooden spoon scrape up any drippings on the bottom of the pot and stir them into the vegetables, bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.
Return the beef to the pot, add the beer and chicken soup, bring the liquid to a simmer, cover the pot and keep it simmering slowly for two hours.
Add the swede (or potatoes), carrots and parsnips to the pot, cook for a further 1 – 1 ½ hours.
Check to see if the meat is done, by pushing a fork deep into the centre of the meat, if the fork pulls out with no resistance then the meat is ready, if there is any resistance cook for a further 20 minutes and check again.
Remove the roast and the vegetables from the pot and set aside, raise the heat under the pot and boil the sauce vigorously for 5-15 minutes until sauce has reduced in volume and is a bit more concentrated. Season with salt and pepper and whisk in the mustard.
To serve:
To reheat the roast if you have made it ahead of time: Skim any fat off the surface of the sauce, place the meat, vegetables and sauce in a large baking dish, cover the dish and reheat in at 160 C (325 F) for 30 -40 minutes until warmed through.
Snip the string from the pot roast, carve the meat across the grain into ¼ inch thick slices, arnge the meat and vegetables on a serving dish and ladle about half the sauce over the meat, serve the reaming sauce separately.
