Smothered Caramelized Onion Roast

 If you know this blog then you most definitely know my Smothered Onion Chicken. It put this blog on the map and is my most popular recipe to date with over a million views- and for good reason! I've gotten hundreds of messages over the years singing the praises of that chicken and for many it has become their go to chicken staple. Occasionally, I would get asked if this could be done with meat and though I knew it probably could and would likely be amazing, I never had the chance to test it out. Until now.                   

I can now officially tell you that smothered caramelized onion roast is just as easy and delicious as the chicken. Since the roast is on the sweet side, it makes the perfect Rosh Hashanah main dish. The best tip I have is to use your food processor or a mandolin to slice the onions. The thinner you slice them, the more caramelized they will get. No matter how sharp your knife is or how good your knife skills are, you still wont get them as thin as the food processor. Extra bonus, this meat freezes like a dream! Enjoy this roast recipe and I look forward to it becoming a family favorite as well!

If you don't want to get your food processor dirty and want the thinnest onions for this recipe, I highly recommend this AMAZING mandolin https://amzn.to/43UGOsS

1 3-4 pound (1.5-2 kilo) French Roast (this would also work well with brick roast, second cut brisket or minute roast- for my Israel peeps: #5 (minute roast), second cut brisket #3,   chuck roast #2  or any cut that goes low and slow would work here.

6 onions, sliced super thin on a mandolin or food processor

5 Tablespoons Onion Soup mix

3 Tablespoons oil

1/3 cup packed brown sugar 

1 Tablespoon Soy sauce (optional)

salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika

In a bowl combine the onions, onion soup mix, oil, brown sugar and soy sauce. Let it sit as you prepare the meat. As it sits the onions will release liquid which will help create the sauce/marinade. Rub the meat on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. In a baking dish place half the onion mixture, place the roast on top, and add the rest of the onions on top. At this point you can marinate the roast for a few hours or overnight in the fridge or you can cook it immediately. 
Preheat your oven to 300 Fdegrees. Cover your pan with a piece of parchment and cover tightly with foil. *The parchment under the foil helps to trap steam and release it back into the pan yielding softer meat.* Bake for 3 hours. Remove the foil and check on the meat. If a fork goes in easily it is just about ready. If there is still resistance when inserting fork recover and bake longer. Once the roast is tender, raise the temperature of the oven to 375F, baste the meat with liquid and onions from the bottom of the pan and roast 5-7 minutes uncovered or until the meat and onions caramelize a little. Cool completely and slice when the roast is cool/cold to get the nicest slices. Optional: blend half of the pan sauce/onions with an immersion blender to get an onion "gravy" to warm the meat in.