It may have been a deal-breaker when I learned Steve didn’t care for pot roast. He doesn’t care for those stewed vegetables like potatoes and carrots. Growing up north, both here and in England, we ate all kinds of stewed meats. As far as vegetables go, I love them any way they’re prepared.

I had to figure out a way to make this traditional dish in a way that Steve would love it as much as I do. I believe I have the answer. The first order of business is to break out my Crockpot. This is my Open-Face Pot Roast on Toasted Ciabatta Bread.

I’m serving this with a side of my Sautéed Spinach With Garlic. This recipe is available by clicking the link at the bottom of this post.

Prep Time: 10 minutes (while the meat is searing, prep your veggies)
Cook Time: 8 hours 15 minutes (8 hours on high) (add 15 minutes for making the gravy while toasting the ciabatta)
Total Time: 8 hours 25 minutes
Yields: 4 servings
Equipment: 1 (7-quart) Crockpot, 1 (10-cup) food processor, 1 (12-inch) cast-iron skillet, 1 (6-quart) saucepot, 2 rimmed baking sheet pans, chef’s knife, serrated knife, cutting board

Ingredients for the Brisket Roast:
1 (3-pound) top-cut brisket roast
2 tablespoons of Canola oil
2 tablespoons of kosher salt
1 tablespoon of black pepper, freshly-ground

Ingredients for the Open-Face Pot Roast:
1 (3-pound) seared and seasoned brisket roast
2 large onions, quartered
4 ribs of celery with their leaves, roughly chopped
1 pound of organic  multi-colored carrots, roughly chopped (7 small carrots)
4 whole cloves of garlic
2 fresh bay leaves, substitute dried ones
3 tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon of kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of black pepper, freshly-ground
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1/2 cup of beef stock, unsalted
1/2 cup of water
2 (10.5-ounce) cans of beef consommé
1/4 cup of Kitchen Bouquet seasoning
Garnish:
1/4 cup of Italian flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Ingredients for a *cornstarch slurry:
1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon of water

Ingredients for the Toasted Ciabatta Toast:
4 ciabatta rolls, sliced in half and toasted
8 tablespoons of butter, unsalted and softened
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly-ground

Instructions for Searing the Brisket Roast:
First, add 2 tablespoons of Canola oil to 1 sheet of paper towel.  Using the oil-dampened paper towel, wipe down the bottom and sides of the cast-iron skillet. Preheat the oven to medium-high heat. Meanwhile, heat the skillet until it is smoking hot. Carefully lay the roast in the pan. Sear the first side for 3-5 minutes. Once the meat releases from the pan without resistance, flip it and sear the other side for another 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. Set aside. While the pan is still over medium-high heat, add 1/2 cup of beef stock. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the bits off the bottom of the skillet. Transfer the reserved *deglazing liquid to a small bowl. Set aside.

Instructions for the Open-Face Pot Roast:
In the meantime, prep the carrots, celery, garlic, and onions. Transfer to the Crockpot. Add tomato paste, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, Kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Place the seared brisket on top. Pour in the beef consommé, reserved *deglazing liquid, and 1/2 cup of water.

Place the lid on the Crockpot and set it for 8 hours on high.

After 8 hours, turn the Crockpot off and carefully remove the brisket. Remove and discard the sprigs of rosemary. Break up the roast into large pieces, and transfer to a plate. Set aside.

Transfer the vegetables to a food processor. Pour the remaining cooking liquid from the Crockpot into a large saucepot. Purée all the vegetables, then transfer them to the saucepot. Over medium heat, bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the browning seasoning (Kitchen bouquet) and simmer for 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water (this is what’s known as a *cornstarch slurry) until the mixture becomes paste-like. Turn the heat back up to medium, add the *slurry, stirring occasionally, and bring the sauce back up to a boil. Once the sauce thickens, reduce the heat to the lowest setting) warm. Carefully add the pot roast and cover.

Instructions for the Toasted Ciabatta:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
For the Ciabatta rolls, use a serrated knife and slice each roll in half lengthwise. Place 4 halves onto each rimmed baking sheet. Drizzled a little olive oil over each one, then sprinkled with kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste. Transfer to the oven, bake for 7-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

All I do to serve this dish is to lay the toasted Ciabatta bread, cut side up, on a plate. Arrange a good helping of the pot roast onto the toasted slices of Ciabatta.

Garnish with Italian flat-leaf parsley. Served with a side of my Sautéed Spinach With Garlic.

There you have it: my Open-Face Pot Roast on Toasted Ciabatta Bread.

Notes:
1) *Cornstarch slurry: A Cornstarch slurry is a mix of equal parts cornstarch and water. Slurries are used to thicken gravies or sauces.

2) *Deglaze: Is to dilute the meat sediments ( in a pan) to make a gravy or sauce, typically using wine or stock.

3) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through a preferred online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/

https://lindalouhamel.com/2015/10/26/sauteed-spinach-with-garlic/