Pomegranate Pot Roast

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Now, we know pot roast recipes aren't usually considered a beautiful food, but this one from Danielle Centoni is an exception. Gorgeous ruby pomegranate seeds (aka arils) and fresh thyme and rosemary add pretty presentation to the hearty winter meal.

Pomegranate Pot Roast
Photo: Blaine Moats
Hands On Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 40 mins
Servings:
6

Ingredients

  • 1 2.5 pound boneless beef chuck roast

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 ½ cup chopped yellow onion

  • ¼ cup tomato paste

  • 6 large cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 ½ cup pomegranate juice

  • 1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth

  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme

  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary

  • 3 bay leaves

  • 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

  • 2 medium Fuyu persimmons, cap removed, halved, and cut into wedges

  • ¼ cup honey

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • ¼ cup pomegranate seeds

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle meat with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. In a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven heat oil over medium-high. Add meat. Cook on all sides until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

  2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions to pot. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring to scrape up browned bits. Push onions to one side; add tomato paste to center of pot. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Add garlic. Cook 1 minute more, stirring to combine all.

  3. Add 1 cup pomegranate juice and the beef broth, stirring to scrape up any bits. Tie thyme and rosemary together with 100% cotton kitchen string. Add to pot along with bay leaves. Bring to boiling. Return meat to pot. Add carrots.

  4. Transfer to oven. Cook, covered, 1 1/2 hours. Add persimmons. Cook, covered, 30 minutes more or until beef is very tender. Remove from oven. Discard bay leaves and herb stems. Let stand 15 minutes.

  5. Meanwhile, for pomegranate syrup: In a medium saucepan combine remaining 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice, the honey, and lemon juice. Bring to boiling over medium, stirring to dissolve honey; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes or until reduced to 1/2 cup. Let cool. (The syrup will thicken slightly as it cools.)

  6. To serve: Drizzle the meat with pomegranate syrup. Top with pomegranate seeds and, if desired, additional fresh thyme and rosemary. Serves 6.

Tips

To deseed a pomegranate, trim the top and bottom to expose the seeds. Score an X across top to loosen the fruit. Working in a bowl of water, split the pomegranate in half and separate the seeds from the peel and white membranes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

412 Calories
12g Fat
44g Carbs
35g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Calories 412
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 107mg 36%
Sodium 849mg 37%
Total Carbohydrate 44g 16%
Total Sugars 33g
Protein 35g
Vitamin C 17.8mg 89%
Calcium 89mg 7%
Iron 4.5mg 25%
Potassium 1247mg 27%
Folate, total 54.7mcg
Vitamin B-12 4.6mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.9mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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