When fresh and aromatic, paprika adds a sweet and pungent flavor to sauces. Too often, however, it’s not fresh, lacks aroma, and is but a shadow of its potential. To judge how fresh your paprika is, smell it: It should have a fruity and pungent sweet chile aroma. Instead of less-than-fresh paprika, I turn to my local spice blender for California chile powder, ground fresh from a mild variety of whole dried red chiles.
For the best flavor, season the roast ahead and refrigerate overnight before cooking. Glazing the roast with mustard adds a crusty layer of flavor and an appetizing appearance, but you can leave this final step out.
You can also use a 7-bone roast, which tends to separate during cooking but is fine served as chunks.
Serves 6, with leftovers
INGREDIENTS
MUSTARD-SPICE RUB
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika or California chile powder
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 4-pound boneless chuck-eye roast, tied, or 4-pound flat-cut brisket
- ½ cup homemade beef stock, canned low-sodium chicken broth, or water, plus more if needed
- ½ cup bourbon
- 2 teaspoons unsulfured molasses
- 1 tablespoon coarse-grain mustard
- 2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
MUSTARD GLAZE
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
INSTRUCTIONS
MUSTARD-SPICE RUB
- Combine chopped fresh thyme, chopped fresh rosemary, dry mustard powder, paprika or California chile powder, freshly ground black pepper, and salt in a small bowl.
- If using brisket, tie several loops of butcher’s twine around the diameter and length of the roast to keep its flat shape and prevent it from breaking apart during cooking.
- Sprinkle the rub generously over both sides of the roast.
- Wrap the roast in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight if time allows.
COOKING THE ROAST
- Set up a gas or charcoal grill for indirect grilling and lightly oil the grill rack.
- Sear the roast on the grill over medium-high heat until nicely browned on both sides.
- Transfer the roast to a large Dutch oven.
- Whisk together homemade beef stock, bourbon, unsulfured molasses, and coarse-grain mustard in a small bowl and pour over the meat.
- Scatter halved and thinly sliced onions and peeled garlic on top.
- Place the pot over the area of the grill with no fire, cover the pot, close the grill lid, and cook for 1 hour.
- Turn over the roast, so that the onions are now on the bottom, and add more stock or water if needed.
- Continue to cook, uncovered, for 1 hour, checking every 20 to 30 minutes to make sure there is still liquid in the pot and to stir the onions so that they brown evenly; add more stock or water if needed.
- Replace the lid on the pot and cook for 1 hour more if using chuck, 1½ to 2 hours if using brisket, or until the meat is tender; check every 30 minutes.
MUSTARD GLAZE
- Combine ¼ cup of the cooking liquid and onions, Dijon mustard, and chopped fresh rosemary in a food processor or blender and puree.
- Brush some glaze over one side of the meat and place glaze side down on the grill.
- Brush the top of the roast with more glaze.
- When the glaze turns brown, turn over the meat and brown the other side.
FINISHING THE DISH
- Meanwhile, reheat the cooking liquid and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Remove the twine if necessary, slice the meat into ½-inch-thick slices, ladle over the cooking liquid, and serve.
ALTERNATIVE CUTS
- Rolled and tied roasts from the chuck: whole mock tender roast, chuck roll, whole flat-iron, chuck arm, or cross-rib roast.
- Well-marbled rump, bottom round, or eye of round roasts.
COOK’S NOTES
- To braise the meat in the oven instead of grilling, follow the directions for Pot-Roasted Grass-Fed Beef Chuck with Winter Root Vegetables.
- Leftover meat can be used to make a Sloppy Bruce Sandwich or a French dip sandwich.
