Fancy Pot Roast with Caramelized Shallots

Fancy Schmancy Pot Roast with Caramelized Shallots

I'm going to go right out here and say it... I hate the idea of a slow cooker and braising a tough piece of meat for hours upon hours for it to get tender and any notion of making meat into a "loaf". I know that's odd because I believe that most of these types of dishes are classic Americana cooking. Besides me, everyone I know loves Pot Roast, Meat Loaf, & Casseroles. In fact, my Mountain man would prefer these types of dishes over some of my favorite (and sometimes very complicated) recipes. That being said, I am really trying to make a conscious effort to make these dishes, but on my terms and high-end ingredients. First, you gotta find a big 'ole boneless chuck roast and heavily salt + pepper all sides of the meat. After seasoning it, I like to lightly coat the roast with some flour, which will aide in the browning process of the meat. So it looks like this...

perfectly browned chuck roast

Next, prep all your precious veggies... we like to use vidalia onions, peeled carrots, leeks, and celery. Sautee them in some butter + olive oil until they become softened, translucent, & caramelized. Pour in the red wine, beef stock, beef consomme, and 1 packet of onion soup mix. Whisk to combine the soup mix with variety of liquids. And like most food I eat + create, I always add a little bit of sugar, honey, maple syrup, or agave because it balances so perfectly against the richness of the pot roast. My secret ingredient comes from a good family friend who claimed that putting some prepared horseradish took a simple pot roast over the top... AND BOY SHE WAS RIGHT. So instead of just spooning it on top of your plate, I decided to whisk it into the braising liquid and it enhanced the flavor instantly. I recommend that you go by your own taste preference. Another key component is the use of fresh herbs; we liked the combination of dried bay leaves, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, and garnished the finished product with minced chives.

veggies + aromatic herbs

Finally, add in cloves of roasted garlic, mushrooms, baby new potatoes, & wedges of cabbage (core removed). Now that your pot roast is ready, place the large dutch oven on a large baking sheet pan, and put the top to cover the pot (this will help to keep your oven clean; no drippings down the sides). Pot Roast is all about braising and baking for long periods of time, so it is a great meal to start early afternoon and pull out of the oven by dinner time. While it's gettin' all tender n' such for 4 hours, it's time to make my favorite part of the "fancy pot roast", which are the sweet + sticky caramelized shallots. I swear I could eat the whole pan of these onions. They are that good. Once all of 'em are baked, they just melt in your mouth, so much so that it seems like they have this fatty texture from boston butt or a ribeye steak (without being gross, I promise). And although I may be biased because my obsession with shallots has no boundaries, you're going to have to take this advice on blind faith. They are the BEST caramelized onions I have ever had, and they are as easy as pie, too.

heavenly caramelized shallots.

nuggets of shallot candy, garnished with fresh herbs

Literally the most difficult part of this recipe is peeling the shallots so that they remain whole. But I've found a way around that by hittin' up a Whole Foods and buying 2 pounds of their peeled shallots (already in small containers, so you have to buy a few of them). The caramelization all happens because of creamy butter, sweet sugar, tangy red wine vinegar, hearty red wine, salt, pepper, and a garnish of fresh herbs. After all of it is said and done, these plain/raw shallots turn into shallot candy. Once you start poppin' them into your mouth, there isn't any way of stoppin'. However, you're going to have to resist the temptation because the shallot candy gets placed into the pot roast as a garnishing component (yes, I realize that they are the biggest garnish in the culinary world, but who cares when it's that delicious). Now like I said before, I used to hate Pot Roast, and I think it's because it was all to salty for me. And these shallot candy nuggets, well, they made me a true believer and an advocate for Pot Roast. In other words, you gotta make this pot roast with these caramelized shallots, and you'll never go back to your grandmother's basic pot roast recipe. Sorry granny, I still got mad respect for you though. So, here it is... the recipe for my Fancy Pot Roast with Caramelized Shallots. Oh and did I mention that we make it on a weekly basis now? Especially when Autumn has arrived and you need a hearty dish to keep you warm from the chilly weather outside (you'll be significantly stuffed after) !! ENJOY :)

see the shallot candy bulbs? yesssss. 

the anatomy of the perfect, fancy pot roast with caramelized shallots

For the Pot Roast:

5lbs Boneless Chuck Roast (sprinkled heavily with salt & pepper)

2T EVOO + 2T Unsalted Butter

2 Vidalia Onions, Peeled & Cut into Wedges

8 carrots, Peeled & Cut into Sticks

2 Leeks, Sliced & Sautéed

2 Stalks of Celery, Finely Chopped & Sautéed

1C red wine

2-3C beef stock

1 can of Beef Consommé 

1 Packet of Onion Soup Mix

1-2T Sugar (or to your desired sweetness, to balance out the flavors)

1-2T Prepared Horseradish

2 Dried Bay Leaves

3 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme

3 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary

8 Cloves of Roasted Garlic

1 Package of Portabella Mushrooms

½lb Baby New Potatoes

1 Small Head of Cabbage, Core Removed + Cut into Wedges

For the Caramelized Shallots:

6T Unsalted Butter

2lb Shallots, Peeled & Left Whole

3T Sugar + 2T Red Wine Vinegar

Splash of Good Red Wine

Salt & Pepper

Fresh Minced Parsley or Chives, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. Prepping the Meat: Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast. Lightly coat all sides of the meat with flour (this will help the meat brown better). 

2.Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add in the olive oil and butter.

3. Prepping the Veggies: Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices. When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the wedges onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate. Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so. And then, you should sauté the celery and leeks until caramelized. Remove all of these sautéed veggies to the plate of carrots.

4. For the Pot Roast: Add a bit more olive oil & butter to the very Dutch oven pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate. With the burner still on high, use the red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get the entire wonderful flavor up. Add in the beef stock, When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.

5. Put the lid on, and then roast in a 300-degree oven for 4 hours.

6. For the Caramelized Shallots: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter in a 12-inch oven-safe sauté pan, add the shallots and sugar, and toss to coat. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the shallots start to brown. Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper and toss well to coat. Place the sauté pan in the oven and roast for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the shallots, until they are tender. Season, to taste, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot. If your sauté pan is like mine and not oven-safe, it works to start this dish in your frying pan then scrape the shallots and sauce into a baking dish (sprayed with Pam) when it’s ready to go in the oven. Bake them in the preheated oven for 15-30 minutes (depending on the size of the shallots. They will become soft, tender, and golden-brown in color. Season to taste with salt & pepper to taste and sprinkle the top of fresh herbs.

7. Finishing the Pot Roast: Once the meat + veggies have been braised for 4 hours, remove the dish from the oven, let it slightly cool down, and then strategically place the shallot candy bulbs over the top of the pot roast (so you can get a shallot in each serving).

8. Serving the Pot Roast: Put either some cooked pasta or mashed potatoes into the bottom of your bowl and top it with a generous scoop of pot roast and caramelized shallots. Finally, drizzle some of the braising liquid (or sauce) over the meat + pasta/mashed potatoes and garnish with minced fresh herbs.

my big 'ole plate of pasta, fancy pot roast, + caramelized shallots

#instagrub : Spicy Nam Tok Beef Salad with Roasted Peanuts

Spicy Nam Tok Beef Salad with Roasted Peanuts

2014 is gonna start off with a bang y'all!! We're moving on up to bigger + better things over here at PLC and it all begins with this Spicy Nam Tok Beef Salad recipe... with roasted peanuts! We swoon over Thai food, I prefer it over any Asian-inspired cuisine, and this our go-to order. It starts off with a sweet, tangy, zesty, spicy, salty, well err everthing kinda vinaigrette/marinade. The mixture includes soy sauce, fish sauce, hoisin, rice wine vinegar, lime, sesame oil, sugar, honey, and seasonings. Then, a'whole'bunch of veggies are added in, like... red onions, shallots, baby cucumber, garlic, ginger, green onion, and spicy jalapenos. Finally it's the vinaigrette is finished off with some fresh herbs and a big pile of medium rare seared filet. You let this "salad"marinate for 4-6 hours until the meat has absorbed the flavors and soaked up a bunch of juice. It stays nice n' plump n' moist for like ever... probably because it's extra-tender filet mignon, who can't get on board with that?! I'm in love with the entire dish, especially the contrast of temperature between the sweet & the heat, as well as the warmth of the roasted peanuts against the cold, crisp salad. Traditionally, it is served with a big pile of cabbage leaves, some sticky rice, more roasted peanuts, and some peanut sauce for drizzling. We like to turn them into killer lettuce wraps and just nosh on them all night! What's great about this recipe is that it's extremely versatile in that it can be served as an appetizer or as a main dish. You could also toss the Nam Tok Beef with some coleslaw or even lo mein to make an Asian chopped salad-- um yum!! Enjoy y'all :)

beginning of the vinaigrette

perfectly seared filet mignon

time to marinate... 

plumped up, garnished with roasted peanuts, & ready to eat!!

For the Nam Tok Beef:

2 8oz Filet Mignons, Cooked Medium-Rare + Thinly Sliced

Half of a Small Red Onion, Shaved

Half of a Shallot, Shaved

5 Green Onions, Thinly Sliced

3 Large Garlic Cloves, Minced

1T Fresh Ginger, Minced

¼C Soy Sauce + Honey

2T Fish Sauce + Sesame Oil

¼C Dark Brown Sugar

2T Sambal Oelek + Rice Wine Vinegar

1T Asian Spice Mix, Red Pepper Flakes, & Crushed Szechuan Peppercorns

1t Peanut Butter Powder

1 Fresh Chili or Jalapeno, Thinly Shaved

1 Small Cucumber, Thinly Sliced

¼C Pickled Shallots

2 Limes, Zested & Juiced

½C Cabbage, Thinly Shaved

A Small Handful of Fresh Cilantro + Fresh Mint, Finely Minced

¼C Chopped Roasted Peanuts (plus extra for topping)

Cabbage Leaves, For Serving (like lettuce wraps)

Directions:

1. For the Steaks: Season your filets with fleur de sel and fresh cracked pepper and heat a pan over high heat. Cook the steaks to the temperature to medium-rare. Let them rest. Thinly slice the steak and let them cool completely on the cutting board. Meanwhile prepare your marinade.

2. For the Salad: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, fish sauce, sesame oil, sambal Oelek, rice wine vinegar, spices, peanut butter powder, and lime zest. Add in the shaved red onion and shallot, green onions, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, cucumber, and pickled shallots. Mix together all of the ingredients and toss to combine and coat. Next, add in the room temperature sliced steak. Marinate for at least 4-6 hours in order for the flavoring to permeate the meat.

3. For Serving: Right before serving, add in fresh squeezed lime juice of the two zested limes, shaved cabbage, minced cilantro and mint, and chopped roasted peanuts. Serve the Nam Tok Beef Salad with cabbage leaves to eat like lettuce wraps. 

Thai Chopped Salad with Crispy Brussel Sprouts, Seared Steak, & Sriracha Vinaigrette

I am a fan of good salads. I mean I it's possibly my favorite meal. People think I'm weird for that, but I mean they have everything I want in one bowl. But, I don't want just a plain salad with just lettuce. Wah, that's no good. I want a salad loaded with crap... and by crap, I mean lots of goodies and vegetables. And this salad delivers on that. It has shredded cabbage, fried brussel sprouts, edamame, red bell pepper, red onion, green onion, chopped peanuts, crispy wonton skins, cilantro, and seared steak all tossed in an amazing, spicy sriracha vinaigrette and then drizzled with a Thai peanut sauce. This salad turned out to be one of the best salads either of us had ever had. Legit. It was the perfect meal, and I think great to make for a date night or any other night for that matter. I really can't stop thinking about it. And the sriracha vinaigrette is to die for, I could literally eat it with a spoon!! Enjoy :)

Thai Chopped Salad with Crispy Brussel Sprouts, Seared Steak, & Sriracha Vinaigrette

I love all the ingredients loaded into this salad...

For the Sriracha Vinaigrette:

¼C Toasted Sesame Oil

¼C Rice Vinegar

½C Honey

2T Sriracha

2T White Sesame Seeds, Toasted

¼t Soy Sauce

For the Thai Chopped Salad:   

2C Napa Cabbage, Shredded

2C Brussel Sprouts, Quartered & Fried until Crispy

1 Red Bell Pepper, Finely Chopped

¼C Red Onion, Minced

½C Green Onion, Finely Chopped

½C Shelled Edamame Beans  

1C Fried Wonton Skins

¼C Peanuts, Finely Chopped

2-4T Fresh Cilantro, Minced

Prepared Sriracha Vinaigrette

Thai Peanut Sauce

Thinly Sliced Seared Filet Mignon, Medium Rare (or cooked to your liking)

Fresh Limes

Directions: 

1. To Make the Sriracha Vinaigrette: In a bowl whisk together all of the ingredients until thoroughly combined. Pour into a mason jar and refrigerate until ready to use. Shake it up before tossing on the salad.

2. To Make the Thai Chopped Salad: In a large mixing bowl, mix the cabbage, fried brussel sprouts, red bell pepper, red onion, green onion, Edamame, fried wonton skins, peanuts, cilantro, and thinly sliced steak together until the ingredients are evenly mixed throughout. Pour some of the Sriracha vinaigrette over the salad, and toss until it is evenly coated.

3. Spoon the salad into a large serving bowl and garnish the top of the salad with more fried wonton skins, crushed peanuts, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and a drizzle of peanut sauce. Enjoy immediately.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Pickled Red Onions, Jalapeno Coleslaw, & Fried Pickles

I know the title is a mouth-full right? But trust me, these sandwiches are awesome. Normally on a Pulled Pork Sandwich, there is pulled pork, BBQ sauce, coleslaw, and pickles. So I decided to make an updated, crazy, over-the-top sandwich that we would both love. Instead of plain creamy coleslaw I kicked it up a bit by making creamy jalapeno coleslaw. I especially LOVE this slaw. It's spicy, sweet, & creamy. It will really be one of my go-to sides for BBQ's. Since we were already making some fried pickles, I thought, why not put them on my sandwiches instead of just plain pickles. But then I was worried that I would lose the acidity that the pickles usually provide, so I made some pickled red onions to replace that missing factor. These sandwiches are so bizarre, but seem to work so well. We really loved them and I know we will be making them soon (especially the coleslaw)! Enjoy :)

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Pickled Red Onions, Jalapeno Coleslaw, & Fried Pickles

For the Dry Rubbed-Pulled Pork:

2T Salt

4T Brown Sugar

4t Garlic Powder

4t Onion Powder

2t Ground Cumin

2t Chili Powder

2t Black Pepper

1 5lb Boston Butt

Creamy Jalapeno Coleslaw:

3C Coleslaw Mix

3-5 Green Onions, Chopped (depending on how much onion you like)

2 Large Jalapenos, Diced

2T Candied Jalapeno, Diced (or you can use pickled jalapenos and add a little more sugar)

¼C Mayo

¼C Sour Cream

1t Yellow Mustard

1t White Vinegar

1t Sugar

1t Lemon Juice

Salt & Pepper, To Taste 

For the Pickled Red Onions:

½C Red Wine Vinegar

½C Water

2T Sugar

½t Salt

¼t Red Pepper Flakes

1 Large Red Onion, Peeled & Sliced

For the Fried Pickles:

1 24oz Jar of Dill Pickle Slices

1t Garlic Powder

½C Hot Sauce

½C Buttermilk

1Q Peanut Oil, For Frying 

1 ½C Self-Rising Flour

¼C Self-Rising White Cornmeal

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

 

For the Pulled Pork Sandwiches:

Toasted Buns

Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork

Creamy Jalapeno Coleslaw

Prepared Pickled Red Onions

Fried Pickle Slices

BBQ Sauce

Directions:

1. To Make the Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork: Mix together all of the seasonings and rub the spice blend all over the pork and marinate the pork overnight, covered, in the refrigerator. The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Put the pork in a roasting pan and bake for 6 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer registers to 170 degrees. Remove the pork from the oven and transfer to a large platter and allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While still warm, take two forks and pull the meat to form shreds.
2. To Make the Creamy Jalapeno Coleslaw: In a medium-mixing bowl, whisk together the mayo, sour cream, mustard, sugar, lemon juice, fresh jalapeno, and candied jalapeno. Toss this mixture with the coleslaw and green onions until completely coated. Set it aside until ready to assemble the sandwiches.
3. To Make the Pickled Red Onions: Heat the vinegar, sugar, salt, and red pepper flakes in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the mixture over the sliced red onions in a jar and let it cool completely. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
4. To Make the Fried Pickles: Drain the juice from the pickle jar and refill the jar with garlic powder, hot sauce, and buttermilk. Marinate for at least 30 minutes. Heat your oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees. Once the pickles have marinated, drain them from the buttermilk mixture. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper. Toss the pickles in the dry mixture to coat thoroughly. Shake off the excess flour and deep-fry the pickles in batches for 3-5 minutes. When golden brown, remove the pickles from the oil and place on a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle with salt, and then stack them onto your pulled pork sandwich.
5. Assemble the sandwiches by stacking the pulled pork, BBQ sauce, jalapeno coleslaw, pickled red onions, and fried pickles onto toasted buns and enjoy.

Asian Noodle Salad

This is my last recipe from our anniversary picnic :( I already miss that day already! Anyway, since we had a themed Asian menu, we needed a side item to go with our Banh Mi's & Tiger Woods'. I ended up making Asian Noodle Salad, that I adapted from a little bit from the most amazing woman ever, The Pioneer Woman. She is just awesome. I didn't change too much, but made the dressing a bit sweeter (because I like things sweet), and changed some of the vegetables around! We really loved this pasta salad, it was perfect for a hot summer day. It makes a whole bunch, so don't make as much as I did if there is only two of you eating it. But, it is one mean salad!! I definitely recommend it for a big family dinner, barbecue, or pot luck! Enjoy :)

Caramel Pork Belly Banh Mi's with Asian Noodle Salad

Asian Noodle Salad

For the Dressing:

Juice of 1 Lime

½C Olive Oil

½C Soy Sauce

2T Rice Wine Vinegar

2-3T Sesame Oil

½C Brown Sugar

¼C Honey

3T Fresh Ginger, Minced

2T Fresh Garlic, Minced

1 Shallot, Minced

For the Asian Noodle Salad:

1 Package of Linguine Noodles, Cooked & Cooled

1 Head of Purple Cabbage, Sliced

1C Shredded Carrot

1 Red Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin

1 Yellow Bell Pepper, Sliced Thin

1 Bag of Bean Sprouts

2 Serrano Peppers, Minced

3T Fresh Thai Basil, Finely Chopped

1 Bunch of Green Onions, Sliced

1 Bag of Shelled Edamame Beans

10oz Whole Cashews, Lightly Toasted

Directions:

1. To Make the Dressing: In a large bowl, add in the olive oil, and then squeeze in the juice of one lime. Add in the soy sauce, sesame oil, and brown sugar and whisk together until the sugar has dissolved. Lastly, whisk in the fresh minced ginger and garlic until combined. Pour the dressing into a dressing jar and keep in the refrigerator until it is ready to be used. The dressing keep for about 3 days.
2. To Make the Asian Noodle Salad: In a large mixing bowl, toss together all of the ingredients until all of the vegetables are mixed throughout the pasta noodles. Next, whisk or shake the dressing one last time and then pour over the salad. Mix the salad with the dressing with tongs until everything is completely covered.
3. Place the dressed noodle salad on a platter and garnish with more cashews.

source: asian noodle salad.