Loren Martin's Spiced Pot Roast

This pot roast gets marinated for six hours in a spice paste that reads more like a curry than a traditional American braise. Cumin, turmeric, ginger, rosemary, crushed red pepper, garlic, French mustard, poppy seeds, and lemon pulp all get blended together with vinegar into a thick, fragrant paste.

That marinade does double duty. The vinegar and lemon tenderize the meat during the six-hour soak, while the spices penetrate deep into the beef. When the marinated roast hits the pan, those spices form an aromatic crust that fills the kitchen with an incredible, complex fragrance.

Whole cloves and bay leaves get fried in oil first until fragrant, then softened onions build the braising base. The meat simmers low for about an hour before tomato puree goes in to finish. Or take the easier route: dump everything into a slow cooker and let it go for 8 hours on low.

Chef Tips

• Blend the spice paste until smooth. Coarse chunks of garlic or lemon won’t distribute evenly during marinating.
• The six-hour marinade is a must. Shorter and the spices stay on the surface. Longer is fine too, even overnight.
• Let the oil cool to lukewarm before adding the marinated meat. Hot oil will splatter violently from the wet marinade.
• Add the tomato puree toward the end to brighten the sauce without washing out the spice flavors.

Variations

• Add potatoes and carrots in the last hour of cooking for a complete one-pot meal.
• Use yogurt instead of vinegar in the marinade for a milder, creamier spice paste.
• Serve over basmati rice to soak up the richly spiced braising liquid.