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 humanely-raised and grass fed. 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? One of the cuts for the roasts was called Pikes Peak roast. Well, it actually has nothing to do with the mountain Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs. Nevertheless, here is a picture of Pikes Peak . I took this picture just 2 minutes away from my house at the end of October last year. It was a stormy evening with some weather moving in. Isn’t it so dramatic? I love it.
You are may familiar with a 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 pot roast with excellent flavor which my recipe will totally confirm.
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 humanely-raised organic grass fed beef
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- 1 onion, large, chopped
- 3 carrots, big, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cups red wine ( I used Merlot)
- 3 cups water, divided
- salt to taste
- freshly ground pepper
Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 325 F.
- Wash the roast and pat it dry. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a bigger dutch oven on medium- high heat, add the oil, and brown the roast from all sides really well.
- Remove roast from the pot and add the onions and carrots and cook until well done and browned.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- 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 the tomatoes.
- 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.
- 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.
- Cut the roast against the grain into 3/4 inch slices. Return the slices to the pot and cover with the sauce.
- Serve with some egg noodles and green salad.
{ 11 comments }
I typically buy chuck roast to cook in my crock pot and it’s simple and I like the results. If I were to substitute this cut, are there any likely modifications I should make, e.g. adding more liquid?
Well, I can’t say for sure, since I haven’t tried it, but I would not think so.
Thanks for the great-looking recipe – I’m going to try it. But you mean “humanely-raised”, not “humanly-raised” beef. Presumably humans did raise this beef, but humanely. 🙂
Happy holidays, Kirsten!
For months I have been planning on a grass fed rolled rump roast for Christmas. I bought a roast at the local farmers’ market several months ago. When my son pulled it out of the freezer, I discovered I had bought a Pikes Peak cut. Does this recipe create a tender roast?
Thank you!
Yes, it does. Happy Holidays to you, too, Janet!
will the alcohol cook out of wine
Yes, the alcohol will evaporate.
FYI, it also doesn’t say how much garlic. I’m trying this recipe tonight, so hope it turns out well! Any chance this could be done in a crock pot instead?
Sure, just make sure to brown the roast first and adjust cooking times accordingly to the slow cooker.
Oops, so sorry. They go in after the red wine with the roast. Thanks for noticing, Terri.
Happy Cooking. Kirsten
The Directions as to when to add the tomatoes has been omitted.. I put them in last just before putting the roast in the oven. Hope this works. My Roast is beautiful.
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