Spice Dish

Pot Roast Comfort

Absolutely Charming & Fabulous

The other night was the kind of night where only some serious comfort food could make things right. It was the kind of night where pot roast seemed to make perfect sense. I knew I would need to flip through one of my classic books to find just the right recipe and guess what I discovered… that I have a new favorite cook book. I do! Really! It’s the Fireside Cookbook by James Beard, the 1949 edition with illustrations from Alice and Martin Provensen. It’s so unbelievably charming.

What does it have to say about pot roast? That, “It is hearty fare and one that is relished by all who are blessed with good appetites.” Good appetite? Check. And a need for a drink? Double check. Luckily Mr. Beard offers several variation of pot roast…  Plain, Italian Style, With Wine and Hungarian. “With Wine” it is!

 

How could this duo not induce glee?

Confession time… this was my first pot roast. Ever. It was! And it came out perfectly. Tender, rich, comforting and even better the next day. I used a Le Creuset Dutch Oven, which I’m totally convinced let to the tenderness.

This is the recipe as it is written on page 107 with my changes in italics:

“Choose a 4 to 6 pound pot roast. Wipe it with a damp cloth and season with salt and pepper.  Lard the meat well with ¼ inch strips of salt pork. I didn’t happen to have salt pork so I gave it an olive oil rub down. Sear in 4 tbs butter until nicely browned on all sides. Pour over 6 tbs cognac and blaze. No cognac so I skipped this step. Extinguish the flame and add 1 clove garlic, I added 4, 1 bay leaf, and a pinch of thyme, and 2 cups red or white wine I used a cabernet. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes per pound or until tender. Add 12 small white onions, peeled, and 4 or 5 carrots, peeled and cut in strips. I also added mushrooms, celery and fingerling potatoes. If you need additional liquid, add another ½ cup wine. I added the wine and 1 cup of tomato puree. Continue simmering until the meat and vegetables are tender. Just before serving, add ¼ cup finely chopped parsley and stir it into the sauce. Arrange vegetables around the meat on a hot platter and pour the sauce over. Buttered noodles or potatoes mashed with butter and cream are excellent with this.”

If you’ve been intimidated by the big hunk of meat that is pot roast definitely give this a try. The butter searing, the rich sauce, the leftovers…. it’s undeniably worth a try.

Enjoy!

EB

Most Memorable Moments

I'm back from my whirlwind trip and thought I'd share a few of my most memorable food moments with you all:

Hummingbird Bakery on Portobello Road. Delicious cupcakes. Delicious.

Napoleon's Dining Room. Man he knew how to eat.

And then there's these. Most 'memorable' because I can still taste them. Unfortunately.

There's a million more memories. Wine cheaper than water? Vive la France! Korean BBQ in late night London? Love it. Salted caramel yogurt in Paris? A revelation.

Thanks Europe (well except for that exchange rate thing...)

EB

Tomatoes Galore

If you're anything like me you've got an abundance of tomatoes right now. Since I'm heading out of town for a bit and knew there was NO WAY I could eat all the amazing tomatoes chilling on my counter, I decided to 'put some up'. There isn't much better than a bright tomato sauce on a cool day, long after the season is over.

This is a sauce that is easily frozen but is, of course, amazing when fresh. It's also startlingly easy, all it calls for is a few ingredients and a low warm oven.

Roasted Tomato Sauce

2 lbs tomatoes
1 head garlic
Olive Oil
Several tbs Herbs de Provence
Salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 250*. Slice tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Lay slices on a baking sheet on a silpat or spread olive oil on the sheet. Disperse garlic cloves around the pan. Drizzle oil and seasonings all over the tomatoes and garlic. Roast for about 2 hours. Once roasted put tomatoes and garlic (remove skins) in a large saucepan. Simmer for 20 minutes. At this point, cool to room temp then freeze. Keeps for 2-3 months (just about the time your fresh tomato craving should kick in!)

Enjoy-

I'm off to Europe. Check back when I get back!

EB