As the seasons change and the weather cools, my soul craves slow cooked, rich comfort foods. When I was first married, my wife insisted I learn all the dishes she grew up eating. Sunday pot roast and all-day stew were two of her favorites, so I went to my mother-in-law and found out the recipes. I wanted to make them exactly like she remembered, and I did at first. Eventually my brain started to think of adjustments I could make to get similar results but with a little bit of my personality in the food.

I lowered the cooking temperature significantly which caused the finished roast to be juicy and tender, additional bits of aromatics and seasonings to give extra tones of vegetables, herbs and spices while still maintaining the meaty dominance of the dish. I made a salt-free beef stock that would allow me to reduce the cooking liquid as far as I wanted to finish the sauce as rich as possible. A little brandy and red wine make everything a little more delicious.

Of course, I realized I was making this traditional Sunday roast into a restaurant quality braised beef. Which is better? Well, that is a silly question. They are both fantastic! I appreciate them both for what they are. If I am being honest, I find myself eating a larger portion of the traditional roast, whereas the braised beef is so incredibly rich that I am satiated after a smaller portion.

I think we have a crock pot somewhere in our house. Years ago, I used it as a warmer for family functions. I would rather use the oven or sous vide to slow cook. I enjoy every tiny detail of cooking, so just setting the temperature to low or high and letting it work its magic makes me feel like I am missing out on part of the process. Obviously, I am aware that my obsessions with food and cooking are a little silly sometimes, but it brings me great joy. For those of you who love crockpots, pot roast and all-day stew are perfect dishes to make in this convenient method.

The origins of braising roasts and stews goes back to the dawn of cooking. It is a method necessary to make tougher cuts of meat edible. This is accomplished by cooking the meat in liquid to break down the tough connective tissues into gelatin which dissolves in the liquid. The gelatin then thickens the liquid giving it a richness and creamy texture, while leaving the meat tender once the connective tissues are broken down.

As far as vegetables go, it is a personal preference. The classics are of course onions, carrots and potatoes, but any vegetables that can stand up to a long cooking time will be an excellent addition. I learned to eat piccalilli with pot roast at home, that is how my wife grew up eating it, and my mother-in-law makes amazing piccalilli. The pickled vegetables pair well with the rich and tender beef.

I think Sunday meals like this are great because they bring people together. Life can get so busy, sometimes it’s great to slow down and enjoy a hearty meal with loved ones.

Sunday pot roast

• 1 beef chuck roast
• All-purpose flour as needed
• 1/4 cup oil or bacon grease
• 2-3 onions, peeled, cut into quarters
• 1 pound carrots, peeled, cut into bite size or left whole depending on preference
• 2-3 pounds red or yellow potatoes
• cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 stem thyme
• 5 stems fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 quarts low sodium beef broth, stock, or homemade, may need less or more broth depending on the size of the roast and the pan
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Oven pre-heated to 275 degrees
2. Season the beef roast with salt and pepper.
3. Coat the beef lightly with flour.
4. Using the pan everything with be braised in, on medium-high heat, add the oil and let it get quite hot, but not smoking.
5. Add the seasoned and floured roast, searing all sides to a deep golden brown.
6. Remove the roast from the pan and set aside, carefully discard most of the oil, leaving only a tablespoon in the pan.
7. Add the garlic and turn off the heat. Let the garlic cook for one minute as the pan is still hot.
8. Add ½ cup cold water to the pan off the heat and use a wooden spoon to carefully scrape the bits of brown on the bottom of the pan, also called the fond. This happens more readily off the heat. When the bottom of the pan has released everything, add the tomato paste over medium heat.
9. Stir moderately and cook two or three minutes until the tomato paste deepens slightly in color.
10. Add the red wine, this once again releases everything that might have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
11. Cook until the alcohol smell of the wine is gone.
12. Add the roast and everything to the pan.
13. Only add enough broth or stock to just cover the ingredients. The amount will vary on the size of the pan.
14. Cover the pan and place in the 275 degrees oven for 3-5 hours. This cook time will vary on size of the roast. I like to check the roast every 30 minutes after 3 hours.
15. To know when it’s done, remove from the oven and, using a fork, gently pull at the roast. When the meat starts to pull apart just a bit, it is done.
16. Ideally the roast barely holds it’s shape but does not fall apart.
17. Let everything set untouched for at least 30 minutes. If you pull the meat out of the liquid too soon, it will start to dry out.
18. Carefully remove everything from the pan and arrange on a serving platter. Discard the thyme, parsley, and bay leaves.
19. Check the salt and pepper of the sauce, adjust to your tastes.
20. Pour just a little sauce over the meat and put the rest in a gravy boat or appropriate serving container. Enjoy!
21. Side notes-
    • add a little beef bouillon to the sauce, just be careful of the salt content
    • add several drops of lemon juice or cider vinegar while seasoning at the end to brighten the flavors.
    • add a little splash of the brandy at the end for a fun layer to the flavors,
    • add a spring of fresh herbs and garlic at the end for 5 minutes, then remove and discard, this adds an additional layer of freshness and complexity.

About

Lincoln Land Community College offers credit programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management and Baking/Pastry, and non-credit cooking and food classes through LLCC Community Education.

Cooking or food questions? Email epicuriosity101@llcc.edu.