Chuck Roast

About this cut

From the shoulder, which is a hard working piece of the animal and full of connective tissue. That sounds like a problem and it's the opposite: a few hours of low heat melts all of it down into the meat and turns a tough cut into something rich and falling apart.

Good for

Pot roast, Dutch oven, slow cooker, or shredded beef for sandwiches and tacos. Brown it hard on every side first, add liquid partway up, lid on, heat low. Three or four hours at least. It's done when a fork goes in with no argument.

From our kitchen

Onions, carrots, a little broth, oven at 300 for the afternoon.

Brown it hard on every side first, in the same pot it'll cook in, because that step is where the flavor comes from. Then onions and carrots, broth partway up, lid on, and leave it alone four hours. Serve with mashed potatoes underneath to catch the juices. Whatever's left gets shredded into tacos or sandwiches the next day.

Storage

Arrives frozen and vacuum sealed, and keeps about a year in the freezer. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, or quick thaw it in a bowl of cold water. Once it's thawed, keep it in the fridge and cook it within 2 to 3 days.