When you are invited to a south Louisianian home for Sunday dinner, chances are great that your hosts are serving garlic stuffed beef roast. Spring, summer, fall, and winter, it just doesn’t matter to us. Beef roast is our customary go-to dish for comfort and company, and you’re really special to someone in the house if you get a Sunday pot roast invite down here. Yep.
Every pocket of garlic and herb stuffing means that someone cared enough to take a little extra time to make sure that the pot roast is jam-packed with flavor. Every bite of melt-in-your-mouth tender juiciness means that this awesome person seared its outside to perfection, then cooked it over low heat with a little water until it almost fell apart in their cast iron Dutch oven. Yes, water. The juices from the roast escape into the water, which makes an au jus that turns into a mouthwatering natural gravy with a couple of tablespoons of tapioca or arrowroot starch.
And the smell, y’all!!! Deep, earthy, and multi-layered, the aroma of garlic and herb stuffed beef roast often finds its way outside through the front door’s cracks and crevices, tantalizing guests before they even make it into the dining room. It’s a south Louisiana culinary welcome, and a cherished way to show affection to the ones you love.
This Louisiana garlic stuffed beef roast is also a way to show some much-needed love to yourself. It’s perfect the first day alongside mashed potatoes. Then, this southern roast beef is even better when you make slide it between two slices of gluten free or Paleo bread for lunch the next day. This chuck roast recipe also freezes well, so you can make some for Sunday and enjoy its slow-cooked deliciousness on a weeknight.
The secret to success for this roast beef recipe is to stuff it with garlic and parsley, sprinkle both sides with hot sauce, then refrigerate it overnight. Bring it up to room temperature, then sear and cook it. If you follow these instructions, the chuck roast takes on the flavors well, and gives you bite after bite of this-is-soooo-good satisfaction.
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- 3½ to 4 pound beef chuck roast
- 1 large head garlic or 8 to 10 cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Tabasco
- 1 cup filtered water
- salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste
- 1 to 2 tablespoons tapioca flour or arrowroot starch mixed with 1 to 2 tablespoons filtered water for thickening, optional
- Use a paring knife to make several deep slits on both sides of the roast.
- Stuff about ½ teaspoon of chopped garlic into each slit. Top off with about ¼ teaspoon of chopped parsley.
- Season the roast liberally with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.
- Pour 1 tablespoon of Tabasco over each side of the roast. Or 2, as I sometimes do!!!
- Refrigerate overnight.
- Remove, and let come up to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Place a large cast iron Dutch oven over medium high heat.
- Sear each side of the roast for about 1 to 1½ minutes. Do not sear longer or the garlic and parsley stuffing mixture will burn.
- Turn down heat to medium low. Add the water. Season the water with SP&C to taste. The water turns to seasoned au jus that infuses the roast with additional flavor. Important: Check on the roast every half hour to ensure that the water does not cook out of it and burn the roast. Cook for 3½ to 4 hours, or until the roast begins to fall apart. Thicken with tapioca/arrowroot starch mixture, if desired.
