My friend, Angela in Wisconsin,
emailed me not too long ago
with a Just Ask Rosie request.
Here's part of her email:
Here is your mission if you choose to accept it.
- Chili. Good old fashioned Chili. Red, meat, beans optional & some heat. Everytime I try to make this it's like eating red water. If red chili isn't your thing, then an attempt at green chili with pork would be welcome as well. I've had some success with the latter but it still leaves much to be desired.
- Pot Roast. Braised meat with carrots, taters, good gravy, etc. School me on this dear.
When I pick out a meat,
I always look for a good amount of marbling.
Marbling is the distribution of fat throughout the meat
and serves two primary functions in making the meat
both tasty and tender.
As the marbled meat cooks, the fat dissolves
and distributes throughout the meat
with the end result being the meat is tender, moist,
very tasty, and has a pleasant texture.
When I cook a pot roast,
I like a lot of veggies with it.
I have a whole head of garlic
(I love baked garlic. You squeeze it out of the skin
and it's a very delicate garlic puree.),
onions, celery, carrots, and sweet potatoes.
Freshly ground salt and pepper
and bay leaves.
I use fresh bay leaves off my bay tree.
If you use dried, just add in 1 or 2 leaves.
This next ingredient is not necessary and I
understand most people don't have it on hand,
but in case you do, add in some veal stock.
It gives the gravy an amazing flavor and richness.
I serve this with a nice crusty baguette
so you can sop up all the juices
and since I'm the cook,
I get the garlic.
And it looks like I added in some green grapes
for a touch of whimsy,
because I'm nothing if not whimsical.
This was a wonderfully flavorful meal.
The meat was fork tender
and the vegetables aromatic.
Just an all-around simple, hearty, meal.
Hope this helps you, Angela.
Well, Rosie, you inspired me yet again. I bought two chuck roasts at Costco yesterday to make this recipe. I rarely use the crock pot in the summer, but I will haul it out and give it a go. I am a little surprised that you didn't brown the roast first. Do you ever do that with this recipe or does it not matter at all? LOVE the garlic idea.
ReplyDeleteNotmuchofacook,I guess you could brown it first but I've never bothered to. Might want to put in a few whole bulbs of garlic. It's that good. You could also squeeze some of the garlic puree into mashed potatoes.
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