I made beef stew for dinner the other night and I meant to take a picture of it and I forgot and now it's gone. Leftovers and all. There will be no visual aids in today's post. Just picture a big bowl of hot, chunky, beefy stew. Beef Stew screams fall to me. With the cool weather that we've been having I thought this was the perfect dinner this week.
I like stews because they're one of those all-in-one rounded meals: protein, veg & starch all in one neat little package. My husband, on the other hand, does not like beef stew for exactly that reason. It's not that he doesn't like my beef stew; I have a theory is that he can't eat dinner out of a bowl. Dinner just isn't as satisfying from a bowl. If it's in a bowl it's a snack to him. When I make beef stew I always get the feeling he's looking at it like, "Where's the rest of it?". So, this time I kicked it up a notch and served this with fresh French rolls. I used to serve his beef stew on a plate. No joke!
I also love stews because they're so unfussy. I don't have to stand over it while it cooks. Once I put it together I can forget about it. I like that I don't have to spend time dicing the vegetables just so, or making sure the pieces of meat are all the same size. I like my stew rustic but maybe that's just me being lazy. Onto the recipe.
Beef Stew
1 lb Stew Beef
Kosher Salt
Cracked pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
.5 c flour
3 TBSP Extra Virgin olive Oil
1 small onion chopped into large chunks
6 gloves garlic, minced
5 carrots cleaned and chopped into large chunks
4 celery stalks roughly chopped
4 medium red potatoes cubed
.5 c red wine
1 can beef broth
2 bay leaves
.5 TBSP Cornstarch
2 TBSP cold water
Heat Olive Oil in dutch oven or large skillet over medium-high heat. I like to use the dutch oven because it reduces splatter. I always have my little one hanging out in the kitchen while I'm cooking.
Place carrots, celery, potatoes and bay leaves in large Crock Pot.
Season beef liberally with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Toss beef with flour to coat.
Add beef to hot pan. Brown on one side, turn beef to start browning the other side, add onions and garlic. Cook until beef is browned, stirring frequently.
Add beef mixture to crock pot. Deglaze pan with .5 cup of red wine. I used Pinot Noir because that's what I had handy. I also didn't measure the wine so I may have used closer to 1 cup.
Once all of the brown bits have been scraped off the pan, add the reduced wine to the Crock Pot along with your can of beef broth.
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
To thicken the stew, make a slurry with the cornstarch and cold water in a small dish. Slowly add the mixture to the stew while stirring. You may not need all of it. This will thicken even more as the stew cools. It doesn't take much.
Serve with crusty french bread. Enjoy!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Suck it Starbucks
Alternate title: Pumpkin Bread
I love Pumpkin. I love it all year 'round. I love Pumpkin Spice Latte season at Starbucks and I think their pumpkin bread is delish. But pumpkin is not something I save for when the leaves change color. This quick bread is something I make all year.
Unfortunately, I haven't made a batch of this (or any) bread in months. Mostly, I think, because there's never a really good time in Texas between the months of April and October to turn your oven on for over an hour. And also because I've been so busy making separate meals for everyone in the family since my daughter started eating solid foods in March. Puree's and roasted vegetables have ruled the kitchen for too long. Now that she's eating more and more of the foods we eat, I have a little time left over to get back to making these special treats once in a while.
This recipe makes one very large, or 2 medium sized loaves of pumpkin bread. I use my largest Silicone loaf pan and it actually expands on the sides as it bakes to accommodate the bread's girth. If you're using a regular, non-expanding loaf pan, I recommend that you make 2. I don't know why I've never tried to scale the recipe down. I don't like messing with baking equations so here is the recipe, as I've written it, to make one gargantuan loaf of bread.
Pumpkin Bread
15 oz can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix! Regular pureed pumpkin)
3 large eggs
.5 c applesauce
.5 c vegetable oil
1 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp (scant) baking soda
1 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 regular loaf pans (or one flexible silicone loaf pan)
In a large bowl mix pumpkin with nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla until blended.
Add eggs, applesauce, oil & sugars mixing until blended.
In a medium bowl mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly stir dry ingredients into wet mixture.
Pour into prepared cooking vessel and bake at 350 for about an hour.
Baking times: Extra large loaf - 60-65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. The cooking time for two smaller loaves may be shorter.
I love Pumpkin. I love it all year 'round. I love Pumpkin Spice Latte season at Starbucks and I think their pumpkin bread is delish. But pumpkin is not something I save for when the leaves change color. This quick bread is something I make all year.
Unfortunately, I haven't made a batch of this (or any) bread in months. Mostly, I think, because there's never a really good time in Texas between the months of April and October to turn your oven on for over an hour. And also because I've been so busy making separate meals for everyone in the family since my daughter started eating solid foods in March. Puree's and roasted vegetables have ruled the kitchen for too long. Now that she's eating more and more of the foods we eat, I have a little time left over to get back to making these special treats once in a while.
This recipe makes one very large, or 2 medium sized loaves of pumpkin bread. I use my largest Silicone loaf pan and it actually expands on the sides as it bakes to accommodate the bread's girth. If you're using a regular, non-expanding loaf pan, I recommend that you make 2. I don't know why I've never tried to scale the recipe down. I don't like messing with baking equations so here is the recipe, as I've written it, to make one gargantuan loaf of bread.
Pumpkin Bread
15 oz can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix! Regular pureed pumpkin)
3 large eggs
.5 c applesauce
.5 c vegetable oil
1 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp (scant) baking soda
1 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 regular loaf pans (or one flexible silicone loaf pan)
In a large bowl mix pumpkin with nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla until blended.
Add eggs, applesauce, oil & sugars mixing until blended.
In a medium bowl mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly stir dry ingredients into wet mixture.
Pour into prepared cooking vessel and bake at 350 for about an hour.
Baking times: Extra large loaf - 60-65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. The cooking time for two smaller loaves may be shorter.
An Anemic Pictorial
I will never forget the first time I ate Risotto. Scott and I were living in Davis Square and found this little hole-in-the-wall Mediterranean restaurant in an old pizza place, across the street from the Salvation Army. The Savannah Grill had no more than 10 tables but the service and food were always fantastic. Each meal started with a complimentary plate of grilled pita, Italian bread, hummus, kalamata olives and tomato spread. The Savannah Grill's stay in Davis Square was short lived, but Scott and I enjoyed some of our best meals together there.
I remember the cold March night we trekked in and I first discovered Risotto. It was served as a side dish with the sauteed chicken. I instantly fell in love with the texture and creaminess. It was like rice but with actual flavor. Finally!
I went home and, without a recipe, I attempted and failed to duplicate the dish. I couldn't understand why my Uncle Ben's just wasn't cutting it. That was seven long years ago and now Risotto is a staple in our house. It is my ultimate comfort food. There's nothing better than a bowl of creamy Risotto and a glass of white wine after a trying day.
I think how you cook Risotto is even more important than what you put into it. This dish can be made 100 ways, so the ingredients change but the technique does not. Once you have a good Risotto base, the possibilities are endless. That's why I'm doing a pictorial blog for this dish.
I like to start by heating 3 TBSP of oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or small stock pot. I also have a sauce pan with 4 cups of good quality chicken stock over low heat on the stove. You want your stock to be warm for this dish.
Start by sauteing 1 cup of diced onions and 4 cloves of minced garlic over medium heat. You can use a mirepoix if you're so inclined. I didn't have any carrots or celery in the house tonight.
When the onions turn translucent it's time add 1 cup of white wine. Tonight I had some Chardonnay open in the wine fridge so that's what I used. Crank up the heat to medium-high and let the wine simmer and reduce by half. This will probably take 3-4 minutes.
Once your wine has reduced, turn the heat back down to medium and stir in 1 cup of Aborio Rice. It's important that you use Aborio rice and not, say, Uncle Ben's as I did on my first attempt. Just trust me on this. Learn from my youthful indiscretions. You can find Aborio in the rice aisle of any super market. Stir the Aborio rice and the onions and the wine together and let the rice soak up the liquid. Now you're ready to slowly start adding your chicken stock.
This is the most tedious part of making Risotto, but it's also the most important. Add your liquid one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. When the rice soaks up most of the liquid it's time to add in another ladle. I'm using Chicken Stock, but if you're a vegetarian, you can use vegetable stock. If you're making a seafood risotto, you could use a fish stock. The beauty of this dish truly is it's versatility.
You'll know when it's time to add more liquid because the rice will become thick and the liquid will be gone from the bottom of the pan. Just keep adding liquid, stirring and repeating until the four cups of stock are gone. I do this over medium heat, sometimes having to adjust it down a smidge.
It can be so tempting to turn the heat up or add more liquid to speed up the process. I don't recommend that because this will yield hard, sticky rice. We want smooth and creamy not hard and sticky. From start to finish this process takes roughly 30 minutes. Once you've used all of your liquid, you'll want to taste the risotto and add any salt or pepper needed to season the dish. I never do it at the beginning because it's hard to tell just how much salt you'll need with the chicken stock. Also, if the rice is still hard, you may need to break out another can of stock and add more. I've found that 4 cups of liquid is the perfect amount for 1 cup of dry rice.
When all of your liquid has been added and absorbed by the rice, it's time to stir in 2 tablespoons of butter and .25 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
Once the butter and cheese have been incorporated into the rice, remove the pan from heat, cover it and don't touch it for 5 minutes. Or, at this point you can add whatever add-ins you're adding in. Mushrooms, chicken, seafood, cooked asparagus. Whatever floats your boat. Today I added in a cup of frozen peas, thawed but not cooked. That's what I usually put in my standard Risotto. After you stir in your extras, then cover the pot and let it sit off the heat for 5 minutes. Go pour yourself a (nother) glass of wine.
It doesn't look like much, but when cooked correctly, Risotto does not disappoint.
Risotto
3 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Cup of onions, diced
4 Cloves garlic, diced
1 Cup dry white wine
4 Cups Chicken Stock, heated
1 Cup Aborio Rice
2 TBSP Butter
.25 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Cup frozen peas, thawed
Salt & Pepper to taste
Heat 3 TBSP of Olive Oil over medium heat.
Sautee onions and garlic until translucent
Add 1 cup of white wine. Simmer over medium high until reduced by half.
Add in Aborio and stir to absorb wine.
Begin adding warm stock one ladle at a time, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed. Repeat until all stock has been added to the rice. Approximately 30 minutes.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Stir in 2 TBSP of butter and .25 cup of parmesan cheese.
Add in thawed peas. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Makes 4 side servings
I remember the cold March night we trekked in and I first discovered Risotto. It was served as a side dish with the sauteed chicken. I instantly fell in love with the texture and creaminess. It was like rice but with actual flavor. Finally!
I went home and, without a recipe, I attempted and failed to duplicate the dish. I couldn't understand why my Uncle Ben's just wasn't cutting it. That was seven long years ago and now Risotto is a staple in our house. It is my ultimate comfort food. There's nothing better than a bowl of creamy Risotto and a glass of white wine after a trying day.
I think how you cook Risotto is even more important than what you put into it. This dish can be made 100 ways, so the ingredients change but the technique does not. Once you have a good Risotto base, the possibilities are endless. That's why I'm doing a pictorial blog for this dish.
I like to start by heating 3 TBSP of oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or small stock pot. I also have a sauce pan with 4 cups of good quality chicken stock over low heat on the stove. You want your stock to be warm for this dish.
Start by sauteing 1 cup of diced onions and 4 cloves of minced garlic over medium heat. You can use a mirepoix if you're so inclined. I didn't have any carrots or celery in the house tonight.
When the onions turn translucent it's time add 1 cup of white wine. Tonight I had some Chardonnay open in the wine fridge so that's what I used. Crank up the heat to medium-high and let the wine simmer and reduce by half. This will probably take 3-4 minutes.
Once your wine has reduced, turn the heat back down to medium and stir in 1 cup of Aborio Rice. It's important that you use Aborio rice and not, say, Uncle Ben's as I did on my first attempt. Just trust me on this. Learn from my youthful indiscretions. You can find Aborio in the rice aisle of any super market. Stir the Aborio rice and the onions and the wine together and let the rice soak up the liquid. Now you're ready to slowly start adding your chicken stock.
This is the most tedious part of making Risotto, but it's also the most important. Add your liquid one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. When the rice soaks up most of the liquid it's time to add in another ladle. I'm using Chicken Stock, but if you're a vegetarian, you can use vegetable stock. If you're making a seafood risotto, you could use a fish stock. The beauty of this dish truly is it's versatility.
You'll know when it's time to add more liquid because the rice will become thick and the liquid will be gone from the bottom of the pan. Just keep adding liquid, stirring and repeating until the four cups of stock are gone. I do this over medium heat, sometimes having to adjust it down a smidge.
It can be so tempting to turn the heat up or add more liquid to speed up the process. I don't recommend that because this will yield hard, sticky rice. We want smooth and creamy not hard and sticky. From start to finish this process takes roughly 30 minutes. Once you've used all of your liquid, you'll want to taste the risotto and add any salt or pepper needed to season the dish. I never do it at the beginning because it's hard to tell just how much salt you'll need with the chicken stock. Also, if the rice is still hard, you may need to break out another can of stock and add more. I've found that 4 cups of liquid is the perfect amount for 1 cup of dry rice.
When all of your liquid has been added and absorbed by the rice, it's time to stir in 2 tablespoons of butter and .25 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
Once the butter and cheese have been incorporated into the rice, remove the pan from heat, cover it and don't touch it for 5 minutes. Or, at this point you can add whatever add-ins you're adding in. Mushrooms, chicken, seafood, cooked asparagus. Whatever floats your boat. Today I added in a cup of frozen peas, thawed but not cooked. That's what I usually put in my standard Risotto. After you stir in your extras, then cover the pot and let it sit off the heat for 5 minutes. Go pour yourself a (nother) glass of wine.
It doesn't look like much, but when cooked correctly, Risotto does not disappoint.
Risotto
3 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Cup of onions, diced
4 Cloves garlic, diced
1 Cup dry white wine
4 Cups Chicken Stock, heated
1 Cup Aborio Rice
2 TBSP Butter
.25 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Cup frozen peas, thawed
Salt & Pepper to taste
Heat 3 TBSP of Olive Oil over medium heat.
Sautee onions and garlic until translucent
Add 1 cup of white wine. Simmer over medium high until reduced by half.
Add in Aborio and stir to absorb wine.
Begin adding warm stock one ladle at a time, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed. Repeat until all stock has been added to the rice. Approximately 30 minutes.
Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Stir in 2 TBSP of butter and .25 cup of parmesan cheese.
Add in thawed peas. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Makes 4 side servings
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Sending it out into the Universe
This recipe has been like a monkey on my back for the past 2 years. I found this on a message board a few years ago and tested a few versions at home before *finally* making it for a gathering with friends. And then I made it for another party with that same group of friends. And yet another.
Since then, it is generally accepted that this is the only dish I know how to make. And it's not, obviously, it's just that this is so good! It's easy to throw together, it travels well, it's great for Sunday Football, or hanging out on a Friday night. It's like Buffalo Wings but without the messy hands and the bones. I craved this towards the end of my pregnancy and would make a batch on Sunday and bring it to work for lunch throughout the week. With celery for my gestating baby, of course.
Now, I send this dish out into the universe and I don't want it back! It's our dish now. Mine, yours, the guy who is reading this in Lithuania; all of ours! Go forth and make this dip for your next party and then report back with the results.
Buffalo Chicken Dip
1.5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, 1/3 fat - softened
1 cup hot sauce, such as Franks® Red Hot®
1 cup Ranch dressing
2 cups roasted boneless chicken breast - shredded or diced
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (sharp)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and hot pepper sauce until well blended.
Mix in the Ranch dressing, chicken and Cheddar cheese. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm with Frito's Scoops and celery.
The original recipe also called for 8 ounces of Bleu Cheese crumbles. I didn't like the taste of the bleu cheese in here so I skip it. You can add it in if you're feeling French.
Also, this can be mixed right in the crockpot and cooked on the low setting for a few hours before serving. Make sure you give it a stir every once in a while or it will burn around the edges. I usually make it as directed above and then transfer it to the crockpot.
Since then, it is generally accepted that this is the only dish I know how to make. And it's not, obviously, it's just that this is so good! It's easy to throw together, it travels well, it's great for Sunday Football, or hanging out on a Friday night. It's like Buffalo Wings but without the messy hands and the bones. I craved this towards the end of my pregnancy and would make a batch on Sunday and bring it to work for lunch throughout the week. With celery for my gestating baby, of course.
Now, I send this dish out into the universe and I don't want it back! It's our dish now. Mine, yours, the guy who is reading this in Lithuania; all of ours! Go forth and make this dip for your next party and then report back with the results.
Buffalo Chicken Dip
1.5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, 1/3 fat - softened
1 cup hot sauce, such as Franks® Red Hot®
1 cup Ranch dressing
2 cups roasted boneless chicken breast - shredded or diced
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (sharp)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and hot pepper sauce until well blended.
Mix in the Ranch dressing, chicken and Cheddar cheese. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm with Frito's Scoops and celery.
The original recipe also called for 8 ounces of Bleu Cheese crumbles. I didn't like the taste of the bleu cheese in here so I skip it. You can add it in if you're feeling French.
Also, this can be mixed right in the crockpot and cooked on the low setting for a few hours before serving. Make sure you give it a stir every once in a while or it will burn around the edges. I usually make it as directed above and then transfer it to the crockpot.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Apple Dumplings
This is not my recipe, but is from a popular website that I frequent: The Pioneer Woman Cooks.
I first read this recipe when she posted it last winter and thought it was the strangest thing I had ever seen. 'Mountain Dew and Crescent rolls?' I thought, 'Give me a break!'. One day in August while combing through her archives for some inspiration, I noticed that I had all of the ingredients for this dessert on hand (except the Mountain Dew, I needed to make a special trip to the store for that) and decided to give it a try. I'd half the recipe so if it flopped, which I fully expected it to, it wouldn't be much of a loss.
As soon as I took this out of the oven, I knew I was going to be sorry that I only made a half batch. That, and my kitchen smelled as if it were smack in the middle of a giant apple pie.
This apple dumpling recipe is not at all diet friendly, so if you're on one of those, you'll probably want to pass this by. It is a great alternative to baking a full apple pie and it's a snap to throw together. I can have this in the oven in under ten minutes. The most time consuming part of making this is peeling 2 apples. It's so simple. I'll post the recipe in it's original form and make notes of what I now do differently.
Apple Dumplings
2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls (I use reduced fat)
2 sticks butter (I reduce this to 1.5 sticks)
1 1/2 cups sugar (I reduce this to 1 cup)
1 teaspoons vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew
Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.
I've found that 30 minutes is plenty of time to bake this dish. At 40 minutes the top of the rolls have started to brown and become hard. 30 minutes allows the rolls to cook through and the apples to soften just enough. I also sometimes dice a third apple and scatter it around the pan in the liquid.
I first read this recipe when she posted it last winter and thought it was the strangest thing I had ever seen. 'Mountain Dew and Crescent rolls?' I thought, 'Give me a break!'. One day in August while combing through her archives for some inspiration, I noticed that I had all of the ingredients for this dessert on hand (except the Mountain Dew, I needed to make a special trip to the store for that) and decided to give it a try. I'd half the recipe so if it flopped, which I fully expected it to, it wouldn't be much of a loss.
As soon as I took this out of the oven, I knew I was going to be sorry that I only made a half batch. That, and my kitchen smelled as if it were smack in the middle of a giant apple pie.
This apple dumpling recipe is not at all diet friendly, so if you're on one of those, you'll probably want to pass this by. It is a great alternative to baking a full apple pie and it's a snap to throw together. I can have this in the oven in under ten minutes. The most time consuming part of making this is peeling 2 apples. It's so simple. I'll post the recipe in it's original form and make notes of what I now do differently.
Apple Dumplings
2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls (I use reduced fat)
2 sticks butter (I reduce this to 1.5 sticks)
1 1/2 cups sugar (I reduce this to 1 cup)
1 teaspoons vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew
Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.
I've found that 30 minutes is plenty of time to bake this dish. At 40 minutes the top of the rolls have started to brown and become hard. 30 minutes allows the rolls to cook through and the apples to soften just enough. I also sometimes dice a third apple and scatter it around the pan in the liquid.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Pot Roast
I never liked pot roast. That's not fair: I didn't think I liked pot roast. I had never really given it a chance. I always grouped it into that gray beef category that contains prime rib. Delicious to some, but too reminiscent of a luke warm dish at a banquet hall for my liking. I would rather take my red meat in the form of a NY Strip thankyouverymuch.
Last winter we made the long trip north to visit family and my Mother in Law said she had made a pot roast for dinner. I was ambivalent about it, but made myself a plate all the same. Good Golly, was I pleasantly surprised! This was not a watery, gray meat dish at all. This dish was, quite simply, delicious. I think I ate 4 pounds of pot roast with gravy over the course of our trip. My Mother in Law graciously told me how she prepared the dish and when I got back home to Texas, I made a version of my own.
This pot roast is now a staple in our home. It's inexpensive and so easy to make in the crockpot. I can put it on in the morning and not give it another thought until it's time to make the gravy; My favorite part!
Pot Roast
3 1/2 lb of beef shoulder or boneless chuck roast
2 large onions thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
.5 c red wine
1.5 c. good quality beef stock (Beef Consomme is perfect)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Heat EVOO in a deep skillet or dutch oven over high heat.
Season meat liberally with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Brown meat over high heat on all sides. Remove meat form skillet and place in crock pot.
Lower heat to medium and add onions and garlic to the skillet. Deglaze pan with red wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in beef consomme.
Pour mixture over beef in crock pot and cook on low heat for approximately 5 hours.
Gravy
Don't skip out on this step...this is the best part!
2 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup liquid from crock pot.
Make a roux by melting flour in a skillet or saucier and whisking in the flour.
Over medium-low heat, stir the mixture until the color starts to deepen.
Slowly stir in the reserved liquid from the crock pot and whisk until thickened. This may take up to 5 minutes. Don't worry if some onions sneak in there. This is a party, after all.
I usually serve this dish with mashed potatoes and carrots. I use baby carrots because I can toss them right into the crock pot at the beginning of the cooking process. And there's nothing wrong with vegetables being cooking in beef broth. Nothing at all.
Last winter we made the long trip north to visit family and my Mother in Law said she had made a pot roast for dinner. I was ambivalent about it, but made myself a plate all the same. Good Golly, was I pleasantly surprised! This was not a watery, gray meat dish at all. This dish was, quite simply, delicious. I think I ate 4 pounds of pot roast with gravy over the course of our trip. My Mother in Law graciously told me how she prepared the dish and when I got back home to Texas, I made a version of my own.
This pot roast is now a staple in our home. It's inexpensive and so easy to make in the crockpot. I can put it on in the morning and not give it another thought until it's time to make the gravy; My favorite part!
Pot Roast
3 1/2 lb of beef shoulder or boneless chuck roast
2 large onions thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
.5 c red wine
1.5 c. good quality beef stock (Beef Consomme is perfect)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Heat EVOO in a deep skillet or dutch oven over high heat.
Season meat liberally with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Brown meat over high heat on all sides. Remove meat form skillet and place in crock pot.
Lower heat to medium and add onions and garlic to the skillet. Deglaze pan with red wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in beef consomme.
Pour mixture over beef in crock pot and cook on low heat for approximately 5 hours.
Gravy
Don't skip out on this step...this is the best part!
2 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup liquid from crock pot.
Make a roux by melting flour in a skillet or saucier and whisking in the flour.
Over medium-low heat, stir the mixture until the color starts to deepen.
Slowly stir in the reserved liquid from the crock pot and whisk until thickened. This may take up to 5 minutes. Don't worry if some onions sneak in there. This is a party, after all.
I usually serve this dish with mashed potatoes and carrots. I use baby carrots because I can toss them right into the crock pot at the beginning of the cooking process. And there's nothing wrong with vegetables being cooking in beef broth. Nothing at all.
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