Pot Roast Meets French Onion Soup in This Stellar Holiday Main Dish

1. Make the Roast

   The night before you want to cook the roast, crush the black peppercorns into a coarse powder with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Transfer to a small bowl along with the mushroom powder and kosher salt; mix.
   

2. Season roast all over with spice mix. Transfer to a wire rack on top of a sheet tray, and refrigerate, uncovered, at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

3. Adjust an oven rack to the lower third position. Preheat oven to 325°F.

4. Coat the bottom of a large Dutch oven with olive oil, and heat over medium. Add roast, and sear on all sides until deep golden, 5 to 7 minutes per side. (Adjust the heat as needed to ensure that the bits at the bottom of the pot don’t burn.) Transfer meat to a large plate.

5. Add onions, cut sides down, to the Dutch oven, and sear until deep golden, 2 to 3 minutes. (The onions won’t be fully cooked at this point, just charred.) Add garlic, and cook 1 minute.

6. Remove pot from the heat and deglaze with 1/2 cup cognac, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Reduce cognac by half using the residual heat, 1 to 2 minutes.

7. Return pot to medium heat, and add beef stock, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, then return roast to the pot along with any accumulated juices. (The liquid should come about halfway up the side of the meat. If it doesn’t, add some water.)

8. Cover and bake until fork-tender, 3 to 4 hours. Transfer meat to a platter, remove twine, and cover with foil to keep warm.

9. Scoop out onions and garlic using a slotted spoon, place them on a small plate, and set aside.

10. Make the Sauce

    Strain braising liquid into a large bowl. Skim any excess fat from the top with a spoon and discard.

11. Wipe out the Dutch oven, and heat over medium heat. Add the butter and melt. Toss in shallots, and sweat until soft, 3 to 4 minutes.

12. Stir in green peppercorns. Turn off heat, and deglaze with 1/2 cup cognac. Reduce cognac by half using the residual heat, 1 to 2 minutes.

13. Set pot over medium-high heat, and add 1 1/2 cups of the reserved braising liquid. (Discard any remaining liquid.) Reduce until the liquid lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes.

14. Add cream and continue to reduce sauce until it fully coats the back of a spoon, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, if needed.

15. Top beef with sauce, and garnish with chives. Serve charred onions alongside the beef on platter.

To Reheat: Warm, covered, in a 325°F oven about 20 minutes if already warm, or 45 to 60 minutes if roast is cold.