My favorite place in the winter is in my kitchen. With my trusty old blue Dutch oven that has been with me from Michigan to Chicago and back. It has held some of my most delicious creations. It has a permanent spot on the stove from November until March. It’s been time for a new one for years but for some reason I just haven’t replaced it yet. It was not a fancy pot to begin with, the knob wiggles and threatens to fall off at every lift, the enamel is chipping off of the edges and the inside is so stained from years of countless uses. I can always count on it for a wonderful soup, artisan style bread, or a perfectly luscious pot roast – those lovely winter meals that warm you up from the tip of your nose all the way down to your toes.

I love being in my kitchen when it’s all warm and cozy inside and frigid outside. Looking out at the snow covered magnolia tree with a large glass of my favorite Pinot Noir, Adele and Sarah Bareilles singing away in the background, my daughter coloring a picture at her little table, and something exceedingly delicious bubbling away on the stove. There’s no where else I’d rather be when it’s cold and snowy outside – it’s how I survive the winter.

Below is my recipe for a luscious, comforting pot roast with hearty noodles in a rich wine sauce – I especially love the bright pops of orange from the carrots. Just let it simmer away in the oven, pour another glass of wine, have someone else do the dishes and it’s the perfect evening!

Rosemary Pot Roast with Pinot Noir sauce:

2 – 4 lb pot roast
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp freshly chopped rosemary
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1 cup pinot noir
1 cup beef broth
4 – 5 carrots, cut in large pieces
cooked egg noodles

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Heat a little olive oil in dutch oven over high heat on the stove. Generously season one side on the roast with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Place that side down in hot pot to sear. Repeat seasoning on other side. When meat releases from pot, flip and sear on the other side. When that side releases, remove from pot and turn down heat to medium. Place onions and any remaining rosemary in the pot and saute for just a minute. Add pinot noir to deglaze pot. Put roast back in pot and arrange carrots around. Add in beef broth until it almost reaches top of roast but do not cover. Once liquid begins to bubble, place in oven for two to three hours. When meat comes apart easily it’s done.
Remove from oven and transfer roast to a board to rest a bit before slicing. Place the pot on the burner and continue to simmer liquid. Add in a little slurry of cornstarch and bubble until it begins to just turn into a thin sauce. Serve slices of roast alongside egg noodles and cover generously with carrots and sauce.