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

How To : Homemade Russian 1,000 Aioli

Homemade Russian 1,000 Aioli

I want to first off by addressing the "name" of my new aioli concoction. Because today, we are focusing on one of the most important parts of any reuben sandwich... well, if not the most important part-- the Russian Dressing vs. Thousand Island Dressing debate. The topic can get quite heated in the culinary world of blogs, magazines, and even amongst chefs. However, I knew from the get-go, that every component had to be top-knotch or homemade in nature. I decided to blend the two together to form a SUPER sauce, packed with extra flavor and making it even more extreme. I mean, face it, "Russian 1,000 Aioli" sounds mechanical, nuclear, or even the highest improvement that can be made. If you didn't know I was a food blogger, you might actually think that I might be talking about sports cars or spaceships or computer technology. HA, good joke. But anyway, our entire family has naturally been on a corned beef kick lately... we made it monday, wednesday, + sunday. And to be honest, I think we're still beggin' for that cut o' meat all over again. Although I was repulsed by the idea of pickled, boiled beef brisket in the past... I have become enamored with it. Cooking partially in boiling water, and then glazing it with a sweet + tangy homemade honey mustard sauce before it heads into the oven to broil, really takes it over the top. I mean, heck, it's made a believer outta me!! I repeated the previous recipe, exactly), but this time I knew I wanted to make over-the-top reuben sandwiches. The rundown for that glorious meal between two buns will be posted on Monay (so check back, ya'hear).  I began with making a basic aioli (a.k.a. homemade mayonnaise using egg yolks and canola oil, amongst other things). I use the food processor for this process, so that the machine keeps moving and whipping the mayo, without allowing it to curdle/separate. You can also do this by hand, but heck, who wants to lose an arm that way? Pardon the sarcasm, you won't lose an arm, but trust me it'll be as sore as the dickens. My aioli starts off quite basic actually... toss in a large egg yolk, a splash of red wine vinegar + freshly squeezed lemon juice, some smashed garlic paste, a dabble of dijon mustard, and a big pinch of salt & sugar. I pulse that mixture up as best as I can until it is as smooth as you can get it (but don't worry, it should become creamier throughout the process). After the painstakingly annoying task of slowly drizzling in the oil (with the processor running on constant speed for its' entire duration), literally one drip at a time, your once liquidy yellow stuff will bloom into a creamy, off-white mayonnaise texture. YAY, you're almost there. Remove this mayo mixture into a mixing bowl to finish it off, completing the transformation it into the soon-to-be-famous Russian 1,000 Aioli. You whisk in the typical cast of characters: ketchup, mustard (or honey mustard, like I used), horseradish, Sriracha, onion  powder, cayenne powder, and add any other needed seasonings. Whisk to combine, so that the ingredients evenly disperse throughout. In my hybrid of the Russian Dressing/Thousand Island Dressing... I love to hand-dice pretty decent chunks of bread + butter pickles. If you prefer a smoother sauce, you could easily substitute relish, but I love the texture and pop of vinegary flavor the pickle chips in the sauce. So, bless your heart, do what you please! This sauce might seem time consuming, but the food processor cuts out majority of the work for you. Just make sure to whisk in the pickle chips at the very in, instead of blending them into a relish. And as for my secret ingredient... freshly ground nutmeg and ground cloves. I know, it might sound odd putting those two pungent flavors into a creamy, classic, americano sauce, but they give the dip the some major sass and elevates it from run-of-the-mill-bottled-dressing to awesome-homemade-aioli. Trust me, it's not just good on reubens, it goes great on the following: BURGERS (ohmahgah, it'll be your new secret sauce for cookout parties, trust me), patty melts, sandwiches, french fries, fried pickles, cobb salads, etc. You catch mah drift. And get yo'self excited because this sauce is featured on the best Reuben Sandwich I've ever made... it'll be posted in a day or so!! Enjoy :)


the makings of the perfect Russian dressing-- aioli style



For the Aioli:

1 Large Egg Yolk

2 Garlic Cloves, Minced into a Paste with Sea Salt

1 Egg Yolk

1t Red Wine Vinegar

2t Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

½t Dijon Mustard & 1T Sugar

2 Garlic Cloves, Minced into a Paste (with a little bit of sea salt)

1C Canola Oil

¼C Ketchup

1T Honey Mustard

1t Prepared Horseradish

½t Salt, White Pepper, & Cayenne

1t Onion Powder

Freshly Grated Nutmeg + Ground Cloves, To Taste

½C Finely Diced Bread n’ Butter Pickles (dice into small cubes/squares)

Directions:

1. For the Russian 1,000 Aioli: Combine the egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, minced garlic, sugar, and ½t salt in medium bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow, about 30 seconds. Using ¼t measuring spoon and whisking constantly, add ¼C of the oil to yolk mixture, a few drops at a time, about 4-5 minutes. Gradually add remaining ¾C canola oil in very slow thin stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8-10 minutes (mayonnaise will be lighter in color).

2. Finishing the Aioli: By hand, whisk in the ketchup, honey mustard, horseradish, white pepper, cayenne, onion powder, freshly grated nutmeg, and ground cloves. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste, if needed.

3. Lastly, fold in the small diced pickles until evenly incorporated throughout. Use the sauce right away or store in the refrigerator until you are ready to use!!

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Pineapple-Poppy Seed-Honey Mustard Coleslaw

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Pineapple-Poppy Seed-Honey Mustard Coleslaw

Pulled pork has to be the ultimate game-day food for us. I mean, it requires very little work and you just pop it in the oven for 6 hours and you have amazingly fatty shreds of porkiness in front of you. Even better, you can stretch it into different meals for days. On Sunday, I'll post a recipe for some of the best Pulled Pork Waffles that you've ever seennnnn. In the meantime, I made a different version of some BBQ sandwiches... and they involve a kinda-crazy coleslaw... made with pineapple. Yes, I realize that might sound odd, but it's strangely delicious. The dressing has a bunch of ingredients, but it mainly involves a homemade honey mustard sauce with prepared horseradish, poppy seeds, and crushed pineapple. It's tangy, sweet, yet has a nice "zang" to it. It's the perfect topping to any sandwich and I think it would go great with a pulled chicken sandwich as well. If there are any Alabama fans out there reading this, it would be a great recipe at your tailgates this weekend since the Crimson Tide plays Arkansas. But, don't worry... this isn't only for us 'Bama fans!! Enjoy :)

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

For the Pineapple-Poppy Seed-Honey Mustard Coleslaw:

1 16oz Bag of Coleslaw Mix

3 Green Onions, Thinly Sliced

8oz Crushed Pineapple (squeezed of all excess juice)

3T Mayo

2T Dijon Mustard

1T Grainy Mustard

3T Honey

1t Creamy Horseradish

1T Poppy Seeds

Salt & Pepper, To Taste 

For the Sandwiches:

Toasted Buns

Warmed Pulled Pork

Your Favorite BBQ Sauce

Prepared Coleslaw

Pickled Red Onions, For Garnishing

Pickles, For Garnishing

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 Pineapple Coleslaw: In a medium-mixing bowl, whisk together the mayo, drained pineapple, Dijon mustard, grainy mustard, honey, horseradish, and poppy seeds. Toss this mixture with the coleslaw and green onions until completely coated. Set it aside until ready to assemble the sandwiches.

3. Assemble the sandwiches by stacking the pulled pork, BBQ sauce, pineapple coleslaw, and other toppings onto toasted buns and enjoy!

Bloody-Good Bloody Mary's with Roasted Heirloom Tomato Puree, Horseradish Infused Vodka, & Hot Sauce Ice Cubes

Wow, we are absolutely pooped. But, we had an amazing time celebratin' the new year downtown!! Hands down, best NYE party ever :) Even though we stayed up late, we had been planning our New Years' Day brunch for like two weeks. No lie. And what do I think of that has to be a part of our feast... Bloody Mary's of course! I know this is not the main dish, but it wouldn't be the start of 2012 without some these bad boys (or girls I guess). Well, I'm no Bloody Mary expert, but I knew I wanted to do everything from scratch (but of course). First, I infused some vodka with fresh horseradish. I did this for about 1 week, so that the vodka would have great horseradish flavor, which is a key component in any great Bloody Mary. Next, I knew that I didn't want to use any ole' tomato juice or mix from the store. No no no, that's not good. So, I bought some ripe heirloom tomatoes and roasted them in the oven along with some shallots, rosemary, and a whole head of garlic. This is the key to this drink people. Roasting the vegetables gives the drink an amazing body & base to add on to. After roasting, I pureed the mixture with some fresh tomato water and all the traditional fixins' like lemon, hot sauce, worcestershire, & a few other knick knacks. Another component that is also a must-have are the hot sauce ice cubes. I honestly can't think of anything more unappetizing than a watered down Bloody Mary. So these flavored ice cubes solve that problem because when they melt, they just add more heat & flavor to the drink (yum). To assemble the drink, we put a dash of worcestershire at the bottom and filled our glasses with the hot sauce ice cubes, and then poured that gorgeous tomato puree over them 'cubes. Top the Bloody Mary's with some cold beer, all sorts of pickled vegetables, and lime wedges (for squeezin'). We have now dubbed these babies as our "Bloody-Good Bloody Mary's" because, well... they are bloody good. Aight?! I know, so cheesy. Anyway, make these for your next party or brunch next weekend because these are damn good... bloody damn good!! Enjoy :)

Bloody-Good Bloody Mary's with Roasted Heirloom Tomato Puree, Horseradish Infused Vodka, & Hot Sauce Ice Cubes 

Heirloom Tomatoes, Shallots, Garlic, & Rosemary Ready to be Roasted (which means extra-yummy flavor)

For the Horseradish Infused Vodka:

1 750mL Bottle of Vodka

1 3inch Piece of Fresh Horseradish, Peeled & Cut into 6 Slices

For the Roasted Heirloom Tomato Puree:

2lbs Fresh Heirloom Tomatoes,

4 Shallots, Peeled and Quartered

1 Head of Garlic, Peeled into Cloves

Olive Oil

Fresh Herbs (thyme, oregano, basil, or rosemary)

Salt & Pepper

For the Tomato Water:

1lb Sweet Tomatoes, Chopped

For the Hot Sauce-Tomato Ice Cubes:

½C of Your Favorite Hot Sauce

1C Tomato Juice (or bloody mary mix)

For the Bloody Mary Mix:

3C Roasted Heirloom Tomato Puree, Cold

1C Tomato Water

¼C Hot Sauce

3T Fresh Lemon Juice

1T Worcestershire Sauce

1t Sriracha

1T Pickled Jalapenos, Minced

1t Fresh Ginger, Minced

1t Prepared Horseradish

1t Honey

1C Horseradish Infused Vodka, Chilled

¼C Tequila

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Bloody Good-Bloody Mary’s:

Hot Sauce Ice Cubes

Prepared Bloody Mary Mix, Chilled

Pickled Green Beans, Okra, Asparagus, Carrots & Jalapenos

Cocktail Onions

Lime Wedges

Cold Beer (for topping the drink)

Celery Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. For the Horseradish Infused Vodka:  Add the horseradish slices into the vodka. Seal the bottle or container, and let it steep for at least 1 week or up to one month (for a stronger flavor). Once you have reached your preferred strength of flavor, strain the vodka into another clean bottle, discarding the bottle that you had infused it in. Chill the vodka in the freezer until ready to use.

2. For the Roasted Heirloom Tomato Puree: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cut the heirloom tomatoes into quarters. Spread the tomatoes, shallots, and garlic cloves onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and toss with the fresh herbs. Roast for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes & shallots are brown and caramelized. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Dump all of the remaining ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. Refrigerate until cold.

3. For the Sweet Tomato Water: Roughly chop your sweet tomatoes and place them in a sieve that is set over a bowl, and let it drain for two hours, or until the tomatoes stop dripping. Discard the chopped sweet tomatoes or toss them into your drink for extra texture.

4. For the Hot Sauce Ice Cubes: In a mixing bowl, mix together the hot sauce and tomato juice (or bloody mary mix) until smooth and combined. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze.

5. To Make the Bloody Mary Mix: In a large pitcher, combine the roasted tomato puree, sweet tomato water, lemon juice, Worcestershire, Sriracha, fresh ginger, horseradish infused vodka, and tequila. Stir until smooth and combined. Taste the liquid and season with salt & pepper. Chill the Bloody Mary mix until very cold.

6. To Make a Bloody Good-Bloody Mary: Fill tall cocktail glasses with some of the Hot Sauce-Tomato Juice Ice Cubes. Pour in the Bloody Mary Mix about ¾ of the way up the glass, and then top with cold beer to the rim. Garnish with pickled vegetables, cocktail onions, and lime wedges. Sprinkle some celery salt & pepper on top and enjoy. Serve cold. 

Here are also some pictures from our NYE celebration last night...