Heavenly Pikes Peak Roast

At the end of last fall I purchased 1/2 a side of beef from a local farmer in Colorado Springs. The cattle he sells are humanly raised, grass fed and never treated with any antibiotics. The only kind of beef I would ever consider buying and consuming. I was able to pick all the cuts in advance and my family requested "lots of roasts". They love a good roast with endless flowing gravy. Well, who doesn't?

You may be familiar with the Pikes Peak roast under a different name. It is also known as heel of round.  A Pikes Peak roast is cut from low in the round, just above the hock. It contains many small muscles and lots of connective tissue. It is the least tender of the round roasts, but cooks up into a splendid pot roast with excellent flavor which my recipe will totally confirm.

It was one of the best roasts I have ever eaten. Luckily there is one more Pikes Peak roast in my freezer. I am already looking forward to preparing it.

Pikes Peak Roast (Heel of Round)

Prep time: 20 min.
Cook time: 2 1/2 - 3 h
Total time: 3- 3 1/2 h
Yield: 6

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs 8 oz pikes peak roast (Heel of Round), from humanly raised organic grass fed beef
• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 onion, large, chopped
• 3 carrots, big, chopped
• 3 garlic gloves, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups red wine ( I used Merlot)
• 3 cups water, divided
• salt to taste
• freshly ground pepper

Directions:
           

1. Preheat your oven to 325 F.
2.  Wash the roast and pat it dry. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a bigger dutch oven on medium- high heat, add the coconut oil, and brown the roast from all sides really well.       
4. Remove roast from the pot and add the onions and carrots and cook until well cooked and browned.      
5. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.       
6. Pour the red wine into the pot. Stir well to loosen all the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Add 2 cups of water and tomatoes.
7. Return the roast to the pot and place the pot with closed lid into the oven. Cook for  about 3 hours or until the roast is very tender.       
8. Remove pot from the oven and the roast from the pot. Add one cup of water and mix the sauce with a stick blender until well pureed. Season with salt and pepper.  
9. Cut the roast against the grain into 3/4 inch slices. Return the slices to the pot and cover with the sauce.     
10. Serve with some egg noodles and green salad.

Enjoy!

As a special add on I would like to share a picture of Pikes Peak, which is located near Colorado Springs. I took this picture just a few minutes away from my house in October last year. It was a stormy evening with some weather moving in. Isn't it especially dramatic? I love it.



 Recipe by Kirsten@My German Kitchen...in the Rockies