Welcome back to the Fancy Fork! Your seasonal produce insight and farm-style recipes that are made to satisfy. 

The month of February kicks off with lots of gameday appetizers, cozy dinners, and sweet treats for your special someone. With Valentine’s Day and the Big Game only days apart, you’ll have plenty of delicious recipes to occupy your time as we embrace a cold few weeks before we Spring forward! 

Like January’s produce, you’ll find hearty vegetables willing to embrace the chill outside such as celery, kale, kohlrabi, chicory, mushrooms, leeks, parsnips, potatoes, winter squash, sunchokes, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, beets, bok choy, butternut squash, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, and collard greens. For fruit, you’ll find apples, grapefruit, kiwi, lemons and limes, passion fruit, persimmons, pomegranates, rhubarb, blood oranges, and pears.  

This month’s recipe will be highlighting one of the most versatile fruits: apples. Apples are a great source of nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants that may help support a healthy digestion, brain health, and even weight management. Studies have show that apples may also protect against certain chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Plus, they are delicious! 

Apple Cider Braised Beef Pot Roast

Servings: 6-8

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 3 hours

Total time: 3 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lbs. Beef Chuck Roast
• 1 tbsp. EACH: Salt & Black Pepper
• 2 tbsp. Flour
• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp. Butter
• 2 Yellow Onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cups Apple Cider
• 2 cups Beef Broth
• 4-5 large Carrots, chopped
• (Optional) 4 Yukon Potatoes, quartered
• 4 Garlic Cloves, chopped
• 1 Honeycrisp Apple, chopped
• 2 Bay Leaves and/or 3 Rosemary Sprigs

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F. 
2. Slice the chuck roast in smaller portions. Season all sides with salt, then black pepper, then flour. 
3. Add the olive oil to a large dutch oven over medium high heat. 
4. Add the seasoned chuck roast portions to sear 2-3 minutes untouched on each side, until golden brown on the edges. 
5. Remove the chuck roast to a plate. 
6. Add the butter and sliced onions. Sauce for 5 minutes. 
7. Add the garlic and sauce 1 minute. 
8. Add the apple cider to deglaze the dutch oven for 2 minutes. 
9. Add the beef back into the dutch oven with the chopped carrots, apples, potatoes, beef broth, and herbs. 
10. Cover the dutch oven with its lid and place in the center rack of your oven to slow roast for 3-4 hours, until super tender. 
11. Remove bay leaves and/or herbs and shred the beef between two forks. Enjoy warm!