Persian Pot Roast
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. walnut oil
2-3/4 pounds rump roast, trimmed of all fat
2 large onions (about 3/4 pound), sliced, separated into rings
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. grated orange zest
6 large plum tomatoes (about 1-1/2 pounds), seeded and chopped
1-1/2 C. beef stock
1 Tbsp. ground walnuts, for garnish
freshly ground pepper, to taste
seeds from 1 large pomegranate (about 1/2 pound)
Cooking Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. (165 degrees C). In a heavy flameproof casserole or Dutch oven with a lid, heat oil over medium heat. Add rump roast; brown on all sides. When roast is brown, pour off all fat and pan juices. Scatter onion and garlic slices around roast. Season with cinnamon, pepper, ginger, and orange zest. Add tomatoes and stock. Bring to a simmer. Cover and bake until meat is fork tender, about 2-1/4 hours. Turn meat and baste with pan juices 2 to 3 times during cooking time. When roast is done, remove meat from casserole; keep warm. Skim any fat from the pan juices. Return casserole to stove. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until reduced by half. Pour sauce through a sieve, pressing solids to extract their flavor and thicken the sauce. Return strained sauce to casserole. Discard solids. Add pomegranate seeds to sauce. Simmer until heated through. Transfer roast to a carving board and slice against the grain into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange slices on a heated serving platter. Surround or spread with sauce. Sprinkle with ground walnuts.
My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” (Psalms 42:3)