Coffee-braised chuck roast

By Kayb • April 17, 2011 • 0 Comments

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Author Notes: It was sitting there on my counter, thawed from its sojourn in the freezer, awaiting my intentions. Plucked from the weekly sale special at Kroger, $1.97 a pound with my Kroger card, it and two of its fellows had accompanied me home a while back. One had become a traditional pot roast, with potatos, carrots and onions. One had been whacked up into chunks for bouef bourguignon. What was to be the fate of this final one? I took a long sip of my coffee and regarded the cup thoughtfully. And that's how this beef came to be. - Kayb

Serves 6-ish

1 2 1/2 to 3 pound beef chuck roast (or similar cut)
2 tablespoons finely ground coffee
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1 teaspoon smoked pimenton
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
3 tablespoons oil
2 cups strong coffee
1 cup coca-cola

Mix all the dry ingredients into a rub and cover all surfaces of the roast liberally. You may have rub left over; it will keep. Wrap coated roast in plastic and refrigerate overnight, or allow to sit on the counter for an hour or so.
Brown roast on all sides in oil over medium high heat, using an oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven. When browned, add coffee and Coca-cola and bring to a boil; then cover andmove to a 300 degree oven.
Braise for 3 to 4 hours, until roast is falling-apart tender, adding water if it gets too dry. Serve torn into chunks or shredded, over arepas or rice.