Experitment Results: Coffee Braised Roast Beef

Good Evening Humble Readers!

Well, the results are in, and all I can say is...

O... M... G...

This was an amazing find!  I am so incredibly excited to share this with you, and so incredibly bummed that I forgot to take pictures of it... for that I apologize.  The original of this recipe can be found here, and what follows is my adaptation.  I think this recipe is easily adaptable to larger or smaller amounts... have fun with it!  (Don't get freaked out by the long list of ingredients... it really is easy!)

Coffee Braised Roast Beef

Olive oil
1 - 3lb chuck roast
1 tbsp seasoned salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon (my ace in the hole for this recipe!)
4 cups very strong brewed coffee
2 yellow onions, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups quartered button mushrooms
1/4-1/2 cup worchestershire sauce
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried rosemary
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup sour cream (I used non fat)

Mix seasoned salt, pepper, and cinnamon together, and season the roast on all sides.  Heat olive oil in a heavy pot (like a dutch oven), and sear on all sides.  Remove the roast from the pot, and toss in the onions and garlic.  Saute for a couple of minutes, taking the time to loosen the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the mushrooms in for a quick saute, and then add the roast back into the pot (and any accumulated juices).  Pour the coffee over the roast, and add in the worchestershire sauce, rosemary and thyme.  Give the coffee mixture a bit of a stir, and allow to come up to a boil.  Reduce heat and allow to simmer slowly for an hour an a half to two hours (depending on how well done you like your roast beef).  Turn the roast once, about halfway through.

When the roast is done, remove it from the pot and cover it with foil.  In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and beef stock.  Bring the braising liquid back up to a boil and whisk in the cornstarch-beef stock mixture, and allow to thicken.  Combine sour cream and a couple ladle-fulls of the gravy in a small bowl to temper the sour cream (so it doesn't separate) and add to the gravy. 

Slice roast and serve with the gravy. 

I did mashed taters and a garden salad as sides.  I will confess that when I first tasted the braising liquid, I thought it tasted a little bitter, and I wasn't sure how it would turn out.  I am so pleased with the end result.  Chuck roast certainly isn't the leanest or most tender cut of beef, but this recipe really did an amazing job on it!  There was a ton of the gravy left over, and I think I'm going to use it in a Shepherd's Pie I'm going to make later in the week. 

(And the cinnamon is absolutely that kick in the background that just makes it perfect!)

I really want one of you guys to make this and tell me what you think...  My Beloved has asked that this be repeated often and soon.

** added in answer to Elana's question...  I'm not 100% certain on kosher alternatives, but if non-dairy sour cream tastes similar to dairy sour cream, I think it would be ok.  As for the worchestershire, perhaps some really strong beef stock (like if you reduced it), or maybe some balsamic vinegar (I was thinking I would add a splash next time).  The worchestershire helps to cut the bitterness of the coffee, so anything that would add that tang would work, I think.  If any of you out there have other suggestions, please speak up!

*** added to answer Good Timing's question... no, the coffee isn't overpowering.  It's there, but it works in combination with everything else.  I'm not a big coffee drinker either (I had to go out and buy coffee for this recipe), but I loved this!