Welcome to May! Birds are singing, flowers blooming, sun is
shining, oh wait a minute that was April. So far this month
it’s been wet and chilly here in the Northeast and most people
are wondering where those beautiful sunny days we had in April
have gone. I mean after all doesn’t the song say April Showers
bring May flowers?
What to make for dinner? Usually by now I’m starting to think
about grilling and Barbecue but so far I’ve opted for warm comfort
foods such as a nice tasty pot roast. The good thing about a
pot roast is it’s another one pot meal. It can be assembled quickly
in a Dutch Oven, either slide it into a 350° oven or braised
on the top of the stove for a couple of hours. Not enough time?
Then use the Crock-pot Great Aunt Millie gave you and you couldn’t
figure out what to make in it. A pot roast is a perfect meal
to do in a crock-pot. Now let’s talk about what cuts to use and
the different cooking methods. Then we’ll get to the recipes.
A good cut for a Pot roast is an Arm Roast. Also known as an
Arm Pot roast, Arm Chuck roast, Chuck arm roast, Round Bone Roast
and Round Bone Pot Roast. Chuck comes from the Steers shoulder
and neck. It’s one of the most flavorful and economical cuts
and in this economy who doesn’t want to save money. Unfortunately,
it has a tendency to be tough. Given that it is tough, the best
way to cook it is slowly in liquid. It’s close to a shoulder
roast but the arm roast has a round bone in it and is more tender.
For this dish you can also use a chuck roast, a brisket, top
round, bottom round or a rump roast. When buying a pot roast,
figure on 2 -3 servings per pound of meat. It’s best to buy more
than you need. The next days pot roast sandwich can sometimes
be better than the day you cooked it.
With this cut of meat I suggest you season it well before cooking
or use a marinade to add more flavor to the dish or it can come
out pretty tasteless. A marinade will also help tenderize it
and add more flavor. I also like to sear it on all sides before
cooking. Browning it helps to caramelize and adds richness to
the flavor. If the recipe doesn’t call for browning it’s not
a bad thing. It’s really just a personal preference among cooks.
A flavorful cooking liquid should be used. If you use water
only with no seasonings it might not come out as good as you
expected. You have to use seasoning to have flavor. I’ve used
beef broth, tomato juice, Spanish Criollo Mojo (a mixture of
spices and a sour orange juice), and Red Wine. I’ve also seen
a recipe using Coca-Cola. It’s not necessary to add vegetables
to the cut when cooking but when you talk pot roast most people
expect vegetables to be cooked with the meat. A lot of recipes
call for carrots and potatoes only. I prefer to be more adventurous
and encourage you to experiment with other veggies.
Try using canned tomatoes in the sauce, or give it a South American
flair by peeling and quartering a Yuca (Cassava) and adding it
to the pot. I’ve also used Leeks instead of onions, parsnips,
turnips, and Butternut Squash. Be aware that different vegetables
may change the taste and texture of the dish even if it’s just
a subtle change.
If you are using a crock pot, the vegetables should go in right
away with the meat. If you are using the oven or the stove top
method, add the root vegetables or the squash about an hour before
the meat is done. When using softer vegetables such as green
beans, mushrooms or peas, add them 15 minutes to ½ an hour before
the dish is done.
Cooking a large cut of meat like this can be intimidating but
don’t let it stop you from trying. Once you’ve tried it, you
will wonder why you haven’t before. Just keep in mind that cooking
can be fun if you relax and not stress over the outcome. If it
goes wrong, try again. Even the best chefs make mistakes. That’s
it for this month. Next month we will talk about outdoor grilling.
Have a wonderful month and remember keep love in your heart and
it will show in your cooking.
Pot Roast with Wine and Mushrooms
Ingredients (Serves 6):
1 pot roast, lean arm, bottom round, or rump, about 3 to 4 pounds
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 rib celery, thinly sliced
½ c sliced button mushrooms
½ c sliced trimmed shitake mushrooms (stems removed)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram or thyme
1 small bay leaf
1 cup beef or chicken stock
1 cup dry red wine, I like pinot noir
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
Preparation:
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive
oil over high heat. Combine flour with salt and pepper; dredge
the pot roast in the mixture. Brown the roast on all sides
in the hot oil. Add the onions, celery, and mushrooms; reduce
heat to medium and sauté the vegetable mixture until onions
are translucent, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the thyme,
bay leaf, stock, wine, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce
heat to low; cover and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until
the beef is very tender. Serve with Garlic mashed potatoes.
Slow Cooker Savory Pot Roast
From: Campbell's
Kitchen Campbell’s
Kitchen recipes)
(FromPrep: 10 minutes
Cook: 8 hours
Ingredients (Serves 6) :
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of
Mushroom Soup (Regular, 98% Fat Free or 25%
Less Sodium)
1 pouch (2 ounces) dry onion soup & recipe mix
6 small red potatoes, cut in half
6 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
3 -to 3 1/2-pound boneless beef bottom round roast or arm
chuck pot roast
Directions:
Stir the soup, onion soup mix, potatoes
and carrots in a 4 1/2-quart slow cooker. Add the beef
and turn to coat.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours* or until
the beef is fork-tender.
Sweet and Sour Pot Roast
Ingredients (Serves 6):
1 beef pot roast, about 4 pounds
2 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup Cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/8 teaspoon allspice
flour
Preparation:
In a Dutch oven, brown roast slowly in hot oil over medium
low heat. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes longer, until
onion is translucent. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add thevinegar,
water, sugar, and allspice. Cover and simmer for about 4 hours,
or until tender. Remove meat and thicken gravy with 2 tablespoons
of flour mixed with a small amount of cold water. Serve
with rice
Yankee Pot Roast Recipe
Ingredients (Serves 6 to 8):
4 to 5 pounds beef roast
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
salt
1/4 cup beef stock
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup diced rutabaga or turnip
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced potatoes
1/4 cup sliced celery with leaves
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbls cornstarch
½ c water
Preparation:
In Dutch oven or heavy kettle, brown meat
on all sides in hot oil. Add salt. Add beef stock and sliced
onion. Cover and simmer for 3 to 4 hours. Add remaining ingredients;
simmer for 30 minutes more, or until vegetables are done. Remove
meat. and thicken liquid with cornstarch and water paste To
thicken: Stir the water into a few tablespoons of cornstarch
and stir until smooth. Stir hot liquid while adding small amounts
of cornstarch paste until thickened as desired. Taste and season
Yankee pot roast with salt and pepper to taste. Yankee pot
roast recipe.
Teriyaki Pot Roast
Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon each onion and garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 to 5 lb chuck pot roast
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce
6 baby potatoes, scrubbed
6 small white onions (or 1 large, quartered)
6 baby carrots
A new twist on an old favorite.
Peel garlic and onions.
Directions:
In a large Ziploc bag, shake together garlic powder, onion
powder, pepper and flour until well mixed. Place meat into
bag, seal and coat meat well with mixture on all sides. Remove
meat; add 1/2 cup water to the bag, mixing well, seal and set
bag aside (save for later in refrigerator).
In a Dutch oven or large skillet, brown meat on both sides
in olive oil. When meat is on second side, add whole, crushed
garlic cloves. Pour Teriyaki sauce into a large measuring cup
filled with 1 1/2 cups water. Stir, and pour over meat in pan.
Cover and simmer for about 90 minutes. Add onions, carrots,
and potatoes, then stir in the contents of the Ziploc bag.
Simmer over medium-low heat, covered, for another 35 minutes
or until vegetables are fork tender (stir in additional water
if gravy becomes too thick as vegetables cook).
Remove meat and vegetables from pot when vegetables are cooked.
Slice meat to desired thickness across the grain (if meat appears
stringy, slice in the other direction). Pour gravy over meat;
serve with vegetables surrounding.
Remember, pot roast is intended to be cooked over low heat.
To develop flavor and tenderize the meat, avoid high temperature
cooking for this recipe.
Adapted from a recipe by Kikkoman courtesy of Cooks.com.
BBQ Pot Roast
Ingredients:
1/2 cup catsup
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
pepper
4 1/2 pounds eye of round bottom, boneless chuck roast
1 1/2 cup water
1 large sliced onion
Directions:
Prepare barbecue sauce by mixing together catsup, preserves,
brown sugar, vinegar, teriyaki, red pepper, mustard, and pepper.
Place roast and barbecue sauce in a large plastic bag, or glass
dish. Refrigerate overnight.
Place water and cooking rack or steamer basket in a 6-quart pressure
cooker. Cover rack or steamer basket with half of the sliced
onions. Remove roast from sauce (reserve sauce).
Put roast on onions and cover with remaining onions. Close pressure
cooker cover securely. Place pressure regulator on vent pipe.
Cook at 15 pounds pressure, with regulator rocking slowly, for
the following doneness: 8 to 10 minutes per pound for rare; 10
to 12 minutes per pound for medium; at least 12 to 15 minutes
per pound for well-done meat. Let pressure drop of its own accord.
Meanwhile, place reserved barbecue sauce in a saucepan and simmer,
until reduced by about one-half, stirring occasionally. Remove
roast and keep warm. Discard cooking water or use for making
soup. Puree onions in a blender or food processor and add to
reduced barbecue sauce
Serve sauce with sliced roast. Recipe courtesy of CD kitchen
