French Roast with Caramelized Onions
This beautifully soft and tender roast is an easy addition to any holiday meal. The best part? If you don't finish it for dinner, just slice thinly and serve at room temperature for a great daytime meal!
Ingredients
4-5 lb. French roast
4 large sweet Vidalia onions
Salt, to taste
8 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
6 sprigs rosemary, divided
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1⁄4 cup crushed pink peppercorns
2 tablespoons Earth Balance, or other vegan butter substitute, divided
½ cup red wine
½ cup chicken or beef broth
1 tablespoon honey
Preparation
Take roast out of the fridge about 2 hours before cooking to bring to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 425F.
Slice onions into rings, and place into ovenproof pan or skillet. Sprinkle with salt. Add 3 sprigs each of thyme and rosemary.
Coat the roast in a generous layer of salt, black pepper, and pink peppercorns. Place on top of sliced onions, then add 3 more sprigs of thyme and rosemary over the roast. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon melted Earth Balance.
Cook for 30-45 minutes, basting after about 20 minutes with juices from bottom of pan. Cooking time may vary due to exact temperature and the size of the roast. Remove from oven when roast reaches an internal temperature of 135F for medium rare or 145F for medium. Let rest for 10-15 minutes.
Remove roast from skillet. In a large saute pan, heat the remaining tablespoon Earth Balance. Add onions from roast pan and saute for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and caramelized. Add red wine, broth, honey, and remaining 2 sprigs fresh thyme. Simmer until liquid is reduced and onions are soft and caramelized, around 25-30 minutes. Discard thyme.
To serve, slice beef thinly and spoon caramelized onions over roast.
Sous vide option: French roast works very well in the sous vide, because the lean meat gets incredibly soft and juicy. Cook at 128 for 8 hours. Remove from sous vide, and coat with Earth Balance, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook in oven preheated to 450F for 10-15 minutes to get a nice crust. Cook sweet onions separately.