Our usual Saturday morning routine, after walking the dog, and enjoying a good cup of coffee is deciding what we want to have for dinner. Coffee. We love good coffee. There is a saying that I refer to often, and wholeheartedly agree with: there is nothing better than the first cup of coffee in the morning or the first beer after work. So true! The coffee that we drink, and highly recommend, is made from the roasted beans of our good friends, Mike and Julie French, who own and operate, Stonehouse Coffee in Nisswa Minnesota. Nisswa is where we have a summer cabin, but we order his beans all year long from their website.
Back to dinner- it's not scientific its more like- what are we in the mood for? Today, here in good 'ol Eagan Minnesota the actual air temperature,when I got up to walk the dog at 5:30 AM, was -10 degrees. Yes, you read that correctly MINUS TEN DEGREES. The high temp for the day was 4. All I wanted was comfort food. You know- a warm, juicy, meat and potatoes-heat the oven kind of meal. I usually prefer seafood or vegetables, but I am a midwestern girl and that means meat and potatoes are an occasional must, especially on a day like today. After all, like my mother always told me, it's good to have to have some meat on your bones!
The decision: Pot Roast - really what else could it be? Daryl makes our pot roast and he doesn't follow a recipe. He changes it up every time he makes it. I keep telling him to write one down occasionally so when we love it we can make it again. Frankly, we love them all.
My mom is a great cook. So when I got married I was looking forward to getting all of her recipes, but instead of a written version of family favorites I would get, "I just put a little of this and then a handful of that..." Really? I was a brand new cook, I needed an ingredient with the exact amounts listed! Daryl's pot roast is that kind of recipe so be prepared. Which can be freeing, do what you want, put more of this in than that, or leave some things out if you don't like them.
Daryl's Pot Roast
Yield 6
Time 3 hours
Pot Roast
3 lbs Beef Chuck (Thousand Hills Grass Fed)
2 Carrots med. diced (1cup)
1 Small Celery Root med. dice (1 cup)
1 cup Rutabega med. diced
1 large Sweet Onion med. diced
3 cloves Garlic rough chopped
1 Tbsp Dried Thyme
1/2 cup San Marzano Tomato Sauce
Salt
Pepper fresh ground
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
Stock
2 lbs Beef Soup Bones
1/2 Onion quartered
1 small handful Dried Porcini
1 cup Chicken Stock
2 cup Beef Stock
4 cup Water
2 Bay Leaves
1/4 cup San Marzano Tomato Sauce
Salt
Pepper fresh ground
Mashed Potatoes
3 lbs peeled and cut into 3/4 inch width slice Russet Potatoes
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
3/4 cup Whole Milk
4 Tbsp Butter (Hope Creamery)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Tbsp Fresh Squeezed Lemon
*One hour before pot roast is complete - Simmer potatoes until very tender, almost falling apart, then drain well and rice(use a potato ricer) back into the same pan and they will stay there until just ready to serve. In another small sauce pan, add the remaining ingredients, saving the lemon for last. Simmer on very low heat until well combined until reduced 20%. Stir occasionally and just before serving pour the mixture into the pan of riced potatoes, fold gently into potatoes, then squeeze lemon for brightness.
To make the stock season roast and soup bones well with salt and pepper. In large heavy Dutch Oven (7 qt. Le Creuset) brown roast, med-high heat, both sides then remove. Add soup bones and onion, you want them deeply browned on all sides - maybe 10 minutes total. Once well browned add chicken and beef stock, bay leaves, tomato sauce, and dried porcini. Bring to a boil, continue to add enough water to keep the bones covered. The goal here is to draw the gelatin out of the soup bones, breaking down the connective tissues. This will impart a silky mouth feel to the stock. This entire process will take 30 to 45 minutes. Make sure to taste the stock throughout this process you want a deep savory flavor, this is where the porcini shines. Remember that the addition of the root vegetables during roasting will add sweetness and balance the flavors.
Using a 7 quart dutch oven, med/high heat, add the butter, and all of the root vegetables. Cook until they're softened, about 10 minutes and then add the tomato sauce - cook until slightly browned. At this point add the flour and continue to cook for and additional minute or 2. Add the browned roast and soup bones and all of the stock. Bring to a boil, and lower to simmer. Then place in a 350° oven for approximately 2 hours. Turn once about halfway through.
Daryl's Pot Roast
Yield 6
Time 3 hours
Pot Roast
3 lbs Beef Chuck (Thousand Hills Grass Fed)
2 Carrots med. diced (1cup)
1 Small Celery Root med. dice (1 cup)
1 cup Rutabega med. diced
1 large Sweet Onion med. diced
3 cloves Garlic rough chopped
1 Tbsp Dried Thyme
1/2 cup San Marzano Tomato Sauce
Salt
Pepper fresh ground
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
Stock
2 lbs Beef Soup Bones
1/2 Onion quartered
1 small handful Dried Porcini
1 cup Chicken Stock
2 cup Beef Stock
4 cup Water
2 Bay Leaves
1/4 cup San Marzano Tomato Sauce
Salt
Pepper fresh ground
Mashed Potatoes
3 lbs peeled and cut into 3/4 inch width slice Russet Potatoes
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
3/4 cup Whole Milk
4 Tbsp Butter (Hope Creamery)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Tbsp Fresh Squeezed Lemon
*One hour before pot roast is complete - Simmer potatoes until very tender, almost falling apart, then drain well and rice(use a potato ricer) back into the same pan and they will stay there until just ready to serve. In another small sauce pan, add the remaining ingredients, saving the lemon for last. Simmer on very low heat until well combined until reduced 20%. Stir occasionally and just before serving pour the mixture into the pan of riced potatoes, fold gently into potatoes, then squeeze lemon for brightness.
To make the stock season roast and soup bones well with salt and pepper. In large heavy Dutch Oven (7 qt. Le Creuset) brown roast, med-high heat, both sides then remove. Add soup bones and onion, you want them deeply browned on all sides - maybe 10 minutes total. Once well browned add chicken and beef stock, bay leaves, tomato sauce, and dried porcini. Bring to a boil, continue to add enough water to keep the bones covered. The goal here is to draw the gelatin out of the soup bones, breaking down the connective tissues. This will impart a silky mouth feel to the stock. This entire process will take 30 to 45 minutes. Make sure to taste the stock throughout this process you want a deep savory flavor, this is where the porcini shines. Remember that the addition of the root vegetables during roasting will add sweetness and balance the flavors.
Using a 7 quart dutch oven, med/high heat, add the butter, and all of the root vegetables. Cook until they're softened, about 10 minutes and then add the tomato sauce - cook until slightly browned. At this point add the flour and continue to cook for and additional minute or 2. Add the browned roast and soup bones and all of the stock. Bring to a boil, and lower to simmer. Then place in a 350° oven for approximately 2 hours. Turn once about halfway through.
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| Ultimate comfort food! |
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