Cranberry-Port Pot Roast

Source: Culinary Cafe

Perfect for a winter evening, this chunky beef roast bakes to tenderness in a savory port wine sauce. For color and sweet-tart flavor, cook tiny onions and bright cranberries along with the meat. 

Yields: 10 to 12 servings 

Preparation time: 4 hours 

Ingredients:

1 beef eye of round roast or rump roast (3 1/2 to 4 lbs.), trimmed of fat 
1 tablespoon salad oil 
1 can (about 14 1/2 oz.) beef broth 
1 3/4 cups port 
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar 
2 packages (about 10 oz. each) frozen tiny onions 
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries 
6 cups hot cooked eggless noodles 
2 tablespoons cornstarch blended with 3 tablespoons cold water 
Salt and pepper 
Rub beef all over with oil, place in a 10- by 14-inch roasting pan, and bake in a 450* oven until well browned (about 45 minutes), turning often. Then reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Add broth and port to pan, cover tightly, and bake for 1 1/2 hours. 

Mix sugar and onions into pan juices; cover tightly and bake for 1 more hour. Stir in cranberries; cover tightly and bake until beef is tender when pierced (about 30 more minutes). 

Transfer beef to a platter; spoon noodles alongside. With a slotted spoon, ladle onions and cranberries onto noodles; keep warm. Skim and discard fat from pan juices; then bring juices to a boil over high heat. Stir in cornstarch mixture; cook, stirring, until sauce is bubbly and thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then pour into a small bowl. 

To serve, thinly slice beef across the grain. Accompany beef and noodles with sauce.

Nutrition information: Per serving: 368 calories (21% fat, 37% carbohydrates, 42% protein), 9 g total fat (3 g saturated fat), 34 g carbohydrates, 37 g protein, 84 mg cholesterol, 234 mg sodium