Pot Roast with Persian Spices on Fingerling Potatoes

Step 1

First make the spice blend: Place everything into a spice grinder (or coffee grinder) and grind as finely as you can get the rose petals.

Step 2

Rub the spice blend all over the chuck roast, onto both sides. Let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

Step 4

When the 20 minutes is nearly up, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven (I used 7 qt round) over medium heat. When it is shimmering, add the roast. Brown it on all sides--it should be a nice, medium dark brown. It will get much darker while cooking.

Step 5

Remove the roast to a large bowl. Turn the cooktop heat off. Deglaze the pot with the cup of water, scraping to get all of the brown yumminess stuck to the pan unstuck.

Step 6

Place the potatoes at the bottom of the pot, with the mushrooms and onion wedges scattered around them. Place the roast on top of them--be sure to also pour all of the juices from the bowl back into the pot.

Step 7

Cover the pot with a heavy, tight fitting lid. Place in the oven and let cook for 4 hours (if you need 5 hours, turn the heat down to 300 F).

Step 8

To serve, first scoop out some potatoes, mushrooms and onions. Then place a wedge of roast on top of them, and spoon some au jus from the bottom of the pot over it all. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.