Tag Archives: pot roast

Dark and Stormy–Braised Pot Roast

Uncategorized, , , ,

When I laid eyes upon the full-page photo attached to an article for Boozy Braises in a recent issue of Bon Appétit Magazine, I just knew it had to get on our short list. Here, the humble pot roast gets punched up with the familiar flavors of a Dark and Stormy cocktail. Piqued my interest!

Aged rum and ginger beer form the basis of the braise, with a bit of brown sugar and plenty of chopped fresh ginger playing backup. This potent combination reduces as the chuck cooks to tenderness, creating a complex sauce with just enough kick. And what’s a cocktail without a garnish? Mint and cilantro, along with some lime wedges, give this cozy dish a refreshing finishing touch.

As the article informed, pot roast isn’t a specific cut of meat but rather a method of preparation. And it’s a forgiving dish as long as you choose a cut of meat that can stand up to long cooking without drying out. Cheap, tough cuts are what you’re after, the ones that have a lot of connective tissue and little fat. Think chuck roasts, rounds, and briskets.

These cuts would be chewy if cooked like a steak but are ideal for gentle braising, which allows all those firm muscles and tissues to slowly become tender. A chuck roast is preferred, but rounds and briskets can be used to similar result. If unsure, ask your butcher: Tell them you’re making a pot roast and let them guide you.

We never thought of a pot roast dinner as company-worthy, but this recipe changed our viewpoint. It was hands-down delicious! Our pot roast was only 2 3/4 pounds, less than the 4-pound roast indicated under ingredients. It is often impossible to find one over 3 pounds, so if you are feeding more than four people, you may want to get two smaller chuck roasts. (Make sure they’ll fit in your braising pot.)

A perfect recipe to cook on a long, cold, lazy day in the Winter. Perhaps even enjoy a Dark & Stormy cocktail while the pot roast braises?

Do ahead: Roast can be cooked 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Skim fat from surface before reheating, covered, in a 350° oven, 20–30 minutes.

Dark and Stormy–Braised Pot Roast

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 1 4-lb. boneless beef chuck roast
  • 2 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. plus ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
  • 2 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 small onions, finely chopped
  • 2 small celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 10 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 3″ piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • ⅔ cup dark rum (such as Goslings)
  • 2½ cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 2 cups ginger beer
  • 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
  • 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
  • 1 lb. carrots, peeled, cut into 1″ pieces
  • 1 lb. small yellow potatoes (15–20), scrubbed
  • Mint and/or cilantro leaves with tender stems and/or lime wedges (for serving; optional)

Directions

  1. Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 300°. Sprinkle one 4-lb. boneless beef chuck roast all over with 2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal or 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt and 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper. 
  2. Heat ¼ cup vegetable oil in a large ovenproof Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Cook roast, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 15–20 minutes. Transfer to a large plate.
  3. Reduce heat to medium and cook 2 small onions, finely chopped, and 2 small celery stalks, finely chopped, in same pot, stirring often and scraping up browned bits stuck to bottom, until golden brown and softened, 9–13 minutes. 
  4. Add 10 garlic cloves, finely chopped, and one 3” piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped, and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 2–3 minutes. 
  5. Add 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and cook, stirring constantly, until combined, about 2 minutes. Gradually pour in ⅔ cup dark rum, stirring constantly to prevent clumping, then add 2½ cups low-sodium beef broth, 2 cups ginger beer, 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tablespoon light brown sugar. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced by about one third and thick enough to lightly coat a spoon (it should be the consistency of heavy cream), 15–20 minutes. Taste sauce and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
  6. Remove pot from heat and place roast in center of pot. Arrange 1 pound carrots, peeled, cut into 1” pieces, and 1 pound small yellow potatoes (15–20), scrubbed, around meat, cover, and braise in oven until meat is tender enough to shred in the center without much resistance, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. 
  7. Uncover and turn meat over. Roast until meat is browned on top and sauce thickens slightly, 30–45 minutes. (If roast is browning too quickly, turn over and continue roasting until sauce thickens.) 
  8. Skim as much fat from surface as possible; discard. Top with mint and/or cilantro leaves with tender stems (if using) and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over if desired.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe by Jesse Szewczyk for Bon Appétit Magazine

Jamaican-Style Ginger-Chili Pot Roast with Sweet Potatoes

Uncategorized, , , , , ,

This Instant Pot take on a Jamaican-style Sunday meal was in a recent issue of Milk Street Magazine. It is adapted from “Caribbean Cooking Made Easy” by British-Jamaican reggae musician and chef Levi Roots.

Changes that Milk Street made included swapping in flavor-packed beef chuck and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, bolstered by bright chilies and ginger, savory scallions and earthy thyme. Then tomato paste and soy sauce added umami-rich depth, while brown sugar and warm allspice rounded everything out.

For faster, more even cooking, divide the chuck roast into two pieces by pulling it apart at its natural seams and trimming away excess fat. Tying both pieces with kitchen twine compacts the meat, allowing the roast to fit comfortably in the pot. You can pressure cook the beef quickly or slow cook it for a hands-off, all-day affair—regardless, it will emerge fragrant and fork tender. We did the fast method which took about 2 hours and 45 minutes, all said and done.

It’s difficult at best to find a 5-pound chuck roast, so if you have the same experience, just purchase two 2 1⁄2 pound roasts. Break each one down along the seam, remove large deposits of fat, then tie the two strips back together with kitchen twine.

Our habaneros were on the large size and I was a bit concerned they might be overwhelming. However, when the meal was ready for plating and we tasted the stew, the chili kick was mild and added a perfect depth of flavor.

Probably one of the few people on earth who don’t own an Instant Pot, we used our large pressure cooker which worked just as well. We both agreed, this was one wonderful pot roast, and the tender sweet potato chunks and velvety sauce just enhanced the meal even more! Full of fruity, sweet and spicy notes, this roast is great garnished with scallion greens or cilantro and served with a crisp, green salad.

Jamaican-Style Ginger-Chili Pot Roast with Sweet Potatoes

  • Servings: 5-6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp. neutral oil
  • 1 Tbsp. plus 1 teaspoon packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens reserved separately (reserve some greens as a garnish)
  • 2 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
  • 2 habanero chilies, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 4 thyme sprigs
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
  • 5 lb. boneless beef chuck roast, separated at the seams into 2 pieces, trimmed of fat, the 2 pieces tied with kitchen twine at intervals
  • 1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp. lime juice

Directions

  1. On a 6-quart Instant Pot, select More/High Sauté. Heat the oil until shimmering, then add the sugar, tomato paste, scallion whites, ginger, chilies and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce, thyme, allspice and ½ cup water, then nestle in the beef.
  2. Lock the lid in place and move the pressure valve to Sealing. Press Cancel, then press Pressure Cook or Manual; make sure the pressure level is set to High. Set the cooking time for 1 hour.
  3. When pressure cooking is complete, allow the pressure to reduce naturally for 25 minutes, then release the remaining steam by moving the pressure valve to Venting. Press Cancel, then carefully open the pot.
  4. Transfer the beef to a cutting board and tent with foil.
  5. Skim off and discard the fat from the cooking liquid. Stir in the sweet potatoes and ¼ teaspoon salt. Select Normal/Medium Sauté and cook until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
  6. Transfer the potatoes to a platter.
  7. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with 3 tablespoons water, then whisk the mixture into the cooking liquid. Add the scallion greens and simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Press Cancel to turn off the pot.
  8. Remove and discard the thyme, then stir in the lime juice. Slice the beef and arrange on the platter, then pour on some sauce. Garnish the platter with some scallion greens or chopped cilantro, and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe from Milk Street Magazine

French Onion Pot Roast

Uncategorized, , ,

Is it soup, or is it an entrée? Call it whatever you want, but this richly flavored main dish is sure to get your attention. And once you taste the end product, you won’t believe how GOOD it is with very little work and not a lot of ingredients. It is rich folks, so a simple side salad pairs well.

We already know that a large chunk of time is necessary to achieve a successful fork-tender, falling-apart pot roast. Like at least three hours in the oven, depending on the size of your roast. But the good news is the low and slow oven does most of that flavor-building for you.

The credit for this recipe goes to 12tomatoes.com. Of course we usually have to make some changes to suit our preferences, one of which was the addition of four large garlic cloves. Plus we sautéed the onion and garlic in the braising pot after removing the seared roast. And next time (because that WILL be happening) we intend to increase the number of onions to 5 or 6. Then midway through the braising, about 90 minutes in, the roast was turned over so that both sides made contact with the bed of caramelizing onions.

Three cups of broth results in a brothier outcome, so if loose and yummy is your desire, stick with that. If you want more of a slice-able pot roast with French onion flavor, scale the broth back to two cups—although we don’t advise it. Much the same way it does in the original French Onion Soup incarnation, the bread soaks up a good bit of that beefy, oniony, brothy deliciousness here.

TIP: Culinary bear claws work best for shredding the roast after the braising step.

French Onion Pot Roast

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 3-4 lb. chuck roast
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 4-6 yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices (you might not need the entire loaf)
  • 1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, grated
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
  2. Season roast liberally with salt and pepper, and some of the thyme.
  3. Add olive oil to a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
  4. Once oil is hot, add roast and sear until deep brown, 4-5 minutes per side. Remove roast and set aside.
  5. Add onions and garlic to pot, sauté for 4-5 minutes. Nestle the remaining thyme into the onions, place the chuck roast on top, add beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Lay a sheet of parchment over the top of the pot extending beyond the edges, cover, and transfer to oven.
  6. After 90 minutes, turn the roast over, recover the pot with parchment and lid, then cook another 1 1/2 to 2 hours, for a total of 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
  7. Remove from oven and remove thyme sprigs. Shred beef into chunks.
  8. Turn oven to broil on high.
  9. Top with baguette slices and Gruyere and return to oven, uncovered. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 2 minutes. (Under our gas broiler it took 5 minutes before the cheesy baguettes became golden brown.)

http://www.lynnandruss.com