Life's Lesson N°6: White Trash Pot Roast

Well, moving right along… Today we have to talk about pot roast. Now, I have to say, in my 44 years on this earth I have never, ever had a better pot roast than my mother’s. It’s not fancy, it’s not gourmet, in fact it’s kind of white trash but that’s what makes it delicious. Nothing makes a house feel warmer than a pot roast cooking in the oven and nothing would get my sister, brother and me to the table faster than a pot roast. Even though our table was perfectly set with a tablecloth, proper dinnerware, linen napkins… There was no escaping our Midwestern roots when my mother served the pot roast with a plate stacked tall with slices of Wonder white bread, a separate plate with a brick of salted butter and each of our glasses filled with good old Coca-Cola. Yes, this is how we do pot roast.

I realize that other people have evolved and improved on the pot roast by adding balsamic vinegar, horseradish, Dijon mustard and God forbid a baguette and a glass of wine...But not us. However, considering this is 2015… I just might.

Let’s start with some secrets from the experts…

A Dutch oven is imperative. It also must have a tight fitting lid. You do not want the steam to escape.

Do not raise your oven too high, never over 350°F. It’s all about a long slow cook on moderate heat.

Chuck roast is the best cut of meat for a pot roast. Look for consistent marbling.

Make sure to brown /sear the meat slowly and on all sides first.

After you brown the meat, sometimes it’s a good idea to cut the onions in half and sear them a little bit on their sides for a smoky flavor.

Not too much liquid… It is a braise, not a stew.

 

Okay, now let’s take a look at some recipes… Starting with my mother’s…

 

My Mom's Pot Roast Recipe

Preheat oven to 350

1 chuck roast about 2 to 3 inches thick

1 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper

2 cans Swanson beef broth

1 bag of carrots peeled and cut in half

2 large onions cut into chunks

4 to 5 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 bay leaves

Gravy

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons melted butter

 

Put the flour in a flat bowl like a pie pan.  Season the flour.  I like a lot of pepper.  Put the chuck roast in the flour and cover with flour on all sides...shake off excess flour.

In a dutch oven or large deep pan heat the vegetable oil on medium heat.  Brown the roast on all sides.  Don't go fast with this.  Browning is important.  Brown not burn. Add the 2 cans of beef broth ( just enough to cover the roast), carrots, onions, potatoes, bay leaves and let it come to a boil. Put a lid on the pan and put in the oven for 3 or 4  hours or until it is very tender. It is done when it falls apart with a fork. Check on the roast during the 3 hours to see if it needs more broth.  Add more if needed. When the roast is done take it out of the pan along with the vegetables and put on a serving platter.  Put the pan on the burner now with the liquids to make the gravy. Heat the liquid to almost boiling.  Mix the flour and butter together to make a paste.  Add this to the liquid with a whisk and stir until thick. Turn down heat to medium heat.   If you need to add more of the flour/butter make more and add a little at a time until you have the right  thickness for gravy.  Season with Salt and pepper.  The carrots and onions are what makes the gravy good.
If you don't want to add the potatoes you can have mashed potatoes instead.
Cooking the roast for a long time with a lid on the roast makes a huge difference.  It makes it very tender and moist...Enjoy

 

The Barefoot Contessa's Company Pot Roast. Recipe HERE. 

 

 

Pot Roast from A Feast for the Eyes Blog. Recipe HERE. 

 

 

Pot Roast from The Wicked Noodle Blog. Recipe HERE.

Voilà! Pot roast mastered!

*Something you don’t know about me? I am never depressed. I do not have a depressed gene in my body. I may have panic attacks but I am never depressed. Isn’t that weird? You will not find any self-help books at my house...Except one. Don’t think I’m a total freak but there is one book that actually helped me and if I can get through ALS without having depression there is hope for everyone for whatever problems they may have. I wish I knew then what I know now. I wish I knew that any sort of toxicity can bring about disease. Toxic food, toxic medicine, toxic lifestyle, toxic relationships and even toxic friendships. Your brain is a very powerful beast and it can be used for good or evil. Your choice. Before I got sick, there were years and years and pounds and pounds of stress… Like all of us have. Looking back, I did not have the tools to process this. I internalized everything… And look where that got me! 40 years old with ALS. Even though I had never been depressed, I was scared that I was going to be. June 16, 2011 I was diagnosed with ALS and within two weeks I was in Paris with David meeting with an ALS specialist… Blah blah blah. The doctor is really nice but he is also literally “of no help.” I started doing my own research. After a few weeks, I came across a book called The Healing Codes by Alex Loyd and Ben Johnson. Like the rap song says, “You better check yourself before you wreck yourself.” So that’s what I did… With the help of The Healing Codes. Not to be creepy, but this book can help everyone. The basic premise is to rid yourself of toxins and this book shows you how with the power of your mind. Mind over matter. Even if I cannot stop ALS from ravaging my body, I can definitely stop it from ravaging my mind. I ordered the book immediately and because I was in France it would have taken too long for it to be shipped because I needed it yesterday! So, I downloaded it onto my iPhone. I sat for hours and hours, scrolling and scrolling, on that little iPhone. I read it wherever I went… In the car, while I was having my blood taken, at lunch, on benches of a Parisian gardens, at dinner… I would not stop until I read the entire book. Finally I finished it and was ready to implement the codes. But, for some reason, I couldn’t do it in France. It just wasn’t working for me. Six weeks later we were in our new house in Santa Barbara. I would take my little yoga mat outside to the back terrace surrounded by roses and sunshine and I would sit alone and meditate for an hour every day for a few months. Guess what, I swear to God it totally worked. I didn’t feel the heaviness anymore. Honestly, I couldn’t even remember what my problems were. All I knew was that I cleared my fucking mind, gave it a fresh slate, retained all of the good memories and was ready to go forward and tackle ALS. The toxic memories were distant memories. I still remember them but they were not affecting me. So, if you want to keep yourself healthy and avoid any impending doom like illnesses and depression., my advice is to read The Healing Codes. :-)