Pot Roast For Two Recipes

POT ROAST 2

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Coat a Dutch oven with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chuck roast generously with salt, add it to the Dutch oven and brown it on all sides. Remove from the pan and reserve. Drain the excess oil, lower the heat to medium, add a few drops of new oil and add the celery, onions and crushed red pepper to the pan. Season the vegetables with salt and cook until they are soft and very aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Toss in the vinegar, stir to combine and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Toss in the bay leaves, orange strips, star anise and thyme bundle. Return the meat to the pan, and add 4 cups water. Add the orange zest. Cover the Dutch oven and put it in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the pan from the oven, turn the meat over and check the liquid level. If the liquid level has gone down, add about 1/2 cup water. Return the pan to the oven and cook for another hour.
• Remove the pan from the oven. Remove the meat from the pan and add the squash, Jerusalem artichokes and figs. Taste, then add the chicken stock and adjust seasoning, if needed. Return the meat to the pan, cover and cook for another 30 minutes.
• Remove the lid to the pan and roast until the squash and Jerusalem artichokes are tender and the liquid is reduced, another 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven. Remove the meat from the pan and skim off any excess fat from the surface of the cooking liquid, if need be. Slice the meat in 1/2-inch slices and serve with the veggies and pan juices.

PORT (POT) ROAST IN A PAN FOR TWO IN A 1.5 HOURS

Steps:

• Season meat on both sides and on the edges with seasonings.
• Brown meat on MED in the heaviest frying pan you have. You should have it just hot enough to hear it sizzle but not so hot that you can't leave without touching for about 5-7 minutes on each side. The trick here is to get it to brown. Try to avoid using a non-stick type pan. It will not give as good of crust. (personal experience). I use a small "Martha Stewart" cast iron frying pan that I got at Kmart for under $10. If your only pot that is heavy is a dutch oven then use it instead. The trick is to "sizzle it" for as long as possible without burning or turning it. The thicker and tougher it looks the better.
• Once the meat has browned sufficiently add the port and water just enough to barely cover the meat and cover. Continue cooking but lower the temp to as low as possible but still have it bubbling for 40 minutes.
• During the last 20 minutes at the veggies and try to wiggle them in to the sauce as much as you can. Add a touch more salt and water if you need to.
• Cover and continue cooking for 20 minutes.

CHUCK ROAST FOR TWO

Steps:

• In a small bowl mix together the salt, pepper, and garlic powder ( it makes for a better distribution of the seasonings).
• Sprinkle beef with the mixed seasoning on all sides.
• Brown the chuck roast in the oil on all sides (I use my Le Creuset 2-Quart Round French Oven).
• Add the onion to the pot and saute until light golden color.
• Dissolve the beef base in hot water.
• Pour the resulting broth around the roast in the pot.
• Bring the broth up to a bubble, immediately cover, and turn down the heat to a simmer.
• Cook at a simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the meat is fork tender.
• Remove meat from pan and keep warm by covering with foil.
• Mix the flour and water together to create a slurry.
• Add the gravy master to simmering broth.
• Slowing pour the slurry into the pan while stirring with a whisk to ensure no lumps form.
• Simmer for a couple of minutes to cook the flour.
• Taste and correct seasoning with additional salt, pepper, and garlic powder blend if needed.
• NOTE: The salt, pepper, garlic powder blend is actually Paula Deen's House Seasoning, see recipe #57340.