Rosemary Beef Roast Over Cheesy Polenta

October 2023. Fall in Memphis, and I am 64, walking the neighborhood in my light jacket, watching the leaves turn on the oaks and maples that line Deadrick Avenue. The smoker is happy in fall — the cooler air holds the smoke lower, keeps it closer to the meat, and the results are always a shade better in October than in July, as if the season itself is a seasoning.

Rosetta beside me through the week, steady as ever, the woman who runs this household with the precision of a hospital ward and the heart of a mother who has loved fiercely for 39 years of marriage. The BBQ class at the community center continues — students of all ages learning fire and smoke, and me learning that teaching is its own kind of cooking: you prepare, you present, you hope something sticks.

I made cornbread in the cast iron skillet — buttermilk, cornmeal, bacon drippings, the recipe that goes back to Mama and before Mama to her mama and before that to wherever the tradition began. Baked at 425 until golden and crusty, the edges dark and lacy, the center soft and crumbling. Some weeks cornbread is enough. Some weeks the simplest food is the most profound.

The week ended on the porch with Rosetta, the evening settling over Orange Mound, the smoker cooling in the backyard. The fire was banked but not out — it's never out, just resting between cooks, holding the heat the way I hold the tradition: carefully, permanently, with the understanding that what Uncle Clyde gave me is not mine to keep but mine to pass, and the passing is the purpose.

There are nights when the smoker cools in the backyard and the cook still needs something slow, something that rewards patience the same way fire does — and that’s when I turn to a Dutch oven and a good chuck roast. Rosetta loves this one, and I love that polenta carries the same low-country spirit as the cornbread we grew up on, just dressed up with cheese and butter. After a week of teaching students how to read fire and smoke, there’s something right about ending it with a dish that asks the same thing of you: trust the heat, don’t rush, and let time do the work.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 3 hours | Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 to 4 lb beef chuck roast
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup beef broth
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
For the Cheesy Polenta:
4 cups low-sodium chicken or beef broth
1 cup coarse-ground polenta (cornmeal)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat and season. Heat your oven to 325°F. Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels, then rub all surfaces with the minced garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes while the oven comes up to heat.
Sear the roast. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the roast and sear undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes per side until a deep brown crust forms on all surfaces. Do not rush this step — the crust is where the flavor lives.
Build the braise. Remove the roast and reduce heat to medium. Add the sliced onion and carrots to the pot and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to lift any browned bits from the bottom. Pour in the beef broth and nestle the roast back in on top of the vegetables.
Slow roast. Cover the Dutch oven tightly and transfer to the oven. Roast for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the beef is completely fork-tender and pulls apart with little resistance. Check at the 2-hour mark and add a splash of broth if the liquid has reduced too far.
Cook the polenta. About 30 minutes before the roast is done, bring 4 cups of broth to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the polenta in a slow, steady stream to prevent lumps. Reduce heat to low, add the salt, and cook — stirring frequently with a wooden spoon — for 20 to 25 minutes until thick and creamy. Remove from heat and stir in the butter, Parmesan, and cheddar until fully melted and smooth.
Rest and pull. Remove the roast from the oven and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Use two forks to pull the beef into large, rustic chunks directly in the pot, allowing the meat to soak up the pan juices.
Serve. Spoon a generous mound of cheesy polenta into each bowl. Top with pulled beef and ladle the braising juices from the pot over everything. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Rosemary Beef Roast Over Cheesy Polenta — When the Smoker Rests, the Dutch Oven Speaks