Pot Roast Explanation

Note: It’s kind of difficult to link to another post on WordPress because if you publish the post you want to link, it will show up as the recent post on the home page. If anyone knows a way around this, let me know. Since I A) don’t have much time to write a post, B) talking about building quality food is important, and C) this didn’t get posted yesterday, I’m going to use it as the Wednesday post.

Note 2: The TSC is this month’s challenge, and it isn’t all that hard to do. This is how you do it, and this is where you post the results.

The following is the text from an e-mail Harrison sent me.
This is a very simple, base version of the recipe. Feel free to experiment and add your own flavors. A few ideas I’ve tried: more spices like cumin, cayenne pepper, carraway, etc. Different cuts of meat. Different varieties of potatoes.

Ingredients:

* Two huge pieces of beef (round eye, chuck, it doesn’t really matter. Get whatever is cheap.)
* Rosemary and Thyme (fresh is better, dried is OK)
* 10 cloves of garlic, minced
* 1 large white onion, minced
* salt
* pepper
* Beef broth or stock. You’ll need enough to cover the meat in the pot. Somewhere around 32 oz. Make your own with spare bones and trimmings from other meals if you can.
* 4 cups white mushrooms
* 8-12 Yukon Gold potatoes
* 2 sticks of butter
* 1 cup of whole milk
* 4-6 handfuls of broccoli
* 2 tomatoes
* Olive oil
* Red wine
* Blue Crushed Velvet Suit
* Silver Medallion with Male Symbol
* Italian Leather Shoes
* Burt Backarat Plays His Hits Vinyl Record

Start by heating a large pot (cast iron if you have it) on high. While it’s heating, rinse and pat dry the beef, then liberally season it with salt and pepper. Sear each side of the beef in the pan. Be patient. After like 45 seconds you’re going to want to turn it. Don’t do that. Give it a good 2-4 minutes/side. Set the oven to 350 F.

Add the broth, half of of the garlic and half of the herbs. No need to chop the herbs, just give them a good smash with something to get their juices flowing. I recommend using some kitchen twine to tie them all together for easy retrieval later. Cover and put in the oven for 3 and 1/2 hours.

Have your wife/roommate ensure that the house doesn’t burn down while you go to the gym.

Return from the gym and drink 1/2 gallon of milk and a sandwich. Then move on to beers, either Natty Boh, or a solid Brown Ale if it’s been a good year.

Chop the potatoes into equal sized cubes. At the 3.5 hours mark, put the potatoes on the stove and cover them with water. Add about 2 tsp salt to the water. Turn on the burner and boil for 20 minutes.

Remove the lid from the pot and give everything a stir. Add the mushrooms, remaining garlic and half of the onions. Optional: add carrots, celery, cabbage, and/or whatever you want. If you add these extra vegetables, don’t add the mushrooms; instead, sautee them with some of the broth for about 15 minutes, until they’re shrunk and soft.

After 20 minutes drain the potatoes and get rid of as much water as you can. While they’re draining, heat two sticks of butter in a small pan. Add some olive oil too, to prevent burning. Once it’s melted and hot, add the rest of the onions and garlic. De-stem and chop up the remainder of the herbs and add them in too. Put the potatoes back in the pot and put it on a medium burner. Add about a cup of milk and then pour this mixture into your potatoes. Mash it all together. Add more salt and pepper, as desired.

Also while the potatoes are draining, chop up your broccoli and tomatoes and coat them with olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Put them into a steamer but don’t turn it on yet.

Once the uncovered pot has been in the oven for 30 minutes, remove it and turn off the oven. Carefully remove the beefs and put them into a bowl and cover. You’ll want to let them rest for 10-15 minutes.

While the meat is resting, turn on the steamer. As soon as the broccoli turns a deeper green and the tomatoes are soft, remove them from the heat.

While the vegetables are steaming, get your mushrooms out of the broth using a strainer and put them into a pan. Add some red wine and broth to the pan and heat for about 5 minutes, until the sauce is reduced.

Put this mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. This is the gravy.

Slice the meat from one corner to another, against the grain. Get a huge plate and build up a nice bed of mashed potatoes. Put some of the vegetables on one side and the meat on the other. Smother with gravy. EAT IT ALL. I like to have a few fruits after the meal.

Suggestions welcome.
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Get strong so you don’t have to be the recipient in the last panel of this comic.