Delicious, delicious, delicious: a perfect winter meal.
Mmm…Pot Roast
Monthly Archives: December 2009
How I spent the afternoon while my pot roast simmered away on the stove.
Express “jean” leggings, Velvet off-the-shoulder t-shirt.
The first step in making a pot roast, browning the seasoned meat in a little olive oil, is absolutely crucial, because this is how you seal in your flavor and enhance the color of the meat. You can season the roast with lots of different things: I just shake over a little season salt and garlic powder, but you can go as basic as salt and pepper, or get crazy with fresh minced garlic and chopped fresh herbs. Experiment!
After your meat is nice and browned, you’re going to braise it (cook it for a long time over low heat in a few inches of liquid). For the braising liquid, you can also get pretty experimental. I use beef broth, but you can use anything from tomato juice to Coca-Cola.
If you make just one of my recipes all winter…make it my pot roast. It takes a few hours, but is so simple - and what better way to spend a lazy winter Sunday than curled up with a book while a delicious roast simmers away on the stove?
First, let’s talk pots. My dutch oven is on the smaller side and won’t fit a big roast, so I just used a huge soup pot. Really, you can use any heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid (TJ Maxx carries Le Creuset at crazy prices).
Now, meat. You want a kinda fatty (=flavorful) cut, and it can be tough, because the long, slow cooking process will break down the connective tissue, resulting in a meltingly tender roast. Look for a cut with nice marbling, but avoid ones with long ribbons of fat.
The best cuts of meat for a pot roast are:
Kendrick’s parents gave me this gorgeous 7” French Chef’s Knife from Warther Cutlery (which we visited when we were in Ohio over Thanksgiving). It’s super lightweight and made totally by hand with rust-resistant American-made high carbon tool steel. That swirly pattern on the blade (made via a process called “Engine Turning”) gives the knife a distinctive look while keeping it looking newer longer.
Speaking of Virgil, fun fact: a couple of years ago, I wrote a study guide on The Aeneid (as Jordan Berkow) of which I am quite proud :)
Virgil spent Christmas Day curled up in the cats’ bed, because his hip was clearly hurting him pretty badly. We’ve since made two visits to the vet, though, and have been assured that it’s totally on the mend - he’s already moving around much more easily.
WHEN TO SEE A VET
- If your pet has been hit by a car (even if you don’t think the wheels touched him), go directly to the nearest vet or emergency clinic
- If you suspect your pet has eaten a toxin (for dogs, toxins include chocolate, onions, alcohol, many plants, and Tylenol)
Super Mario Piano
Just one of the many little things about my husband that make me happy.
Woot!
This was actually a gift from Kendrick and I to my dad, but we had selfish motivations - we are planning on stealing borrowing the game in the near future, and spent the entirety of Christmas Day planted in front of the Wii. The game is great for Mario purists - I recognized a lot of elements from earlier side-scrolling versions, like the classic soundtrack, Yoshi rides, and flagpole-jumping at the end of a level - but there are also cool additions like Ice Flowers and Propeller Suits (!). Basically, there’s a lot here that will feel familiar and exciting for those of us who grew up with Mario, Luigi, the Princess, and Toad.
The New Super Mario Bros for Wii also allows up to four people to play simultaneously. This is fantastic, because I hate waiting my turn and have a tendency to wander off, making my husband furious. Also, I discovered that one player can pick up another player and hurl him into an enemy or over a cliff (sorry, darling).
Somebody’s hungry for Christmas dinner…
(See that painting on the wall? That’s the Elizabeth Estivalet landscape I gave my parents for Christmas a few years ago.)
