Mediterranean Chuck Roast

Treat chuck roast to a tenderizing spa day in an olive oil marinade, then roast and serve up with al dente orzo. Your neighbors will be clamoring to be included for Sunday dinner.

Ingredients

Chuck roast, approx 3 lbs

2 tablespoons olive oil

Spice Rub:
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped
2 lemons, zest then juiced
2 teaspoons crushed red chili
2 teaspoons black pepper, ground
2 tablespoon kosher salt
6-8 cups water
1 lemon cut in half
12 ea mini bell peppers

Herbed Orzo Pasta:
1 cup orzo pasta, dry
—
3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, minced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 cup diced Roma tomato
½ teaspoon kosher salt
ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Rub chuck roast with olive oil and set into a dish to marinate. In small bowl, combine spice rub ingredients and then spread all over the roast. Press plastic wrap against meat to press marinade in, and cover. Marinate in refrigerator for 4 hours to overnight.
To cook roast, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan. Fill bottom of pan with about 1 inch of water. Squeeze lemon over the roast and place in pan. Place mini bell peppers around roast. Put pan into hot oven and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook for 45 min to 1 hour, then check temperature at thickest part of meat. If roast is getting too brown, you can loosely tent while it finishes cooking. When it reaches 155 degrees or your desired temperature, remove from oven, and loosely cover with foil. Let the roast sit 20 minutes before slicing to serve.
Herbed Orzo: Cook orzo according to package directions to al dente. Drain well. Place back into empty cooking pot, add remaining ingredients, and turn heat back on for a couple of minutes to heat through. Serve with roast.