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Saturday, April 9, 2011

Mexican beef pot roast


to the queen of the slow roast cooker,

if i knew then, what i know now.. the crockpot wouldn't have been my life's first magic trick. its work continues to blow my mind.

cooks make the best friends, let's be serious.  it was in a friend relationship like this that an undercover "queen of the slow roast cooker" truly showed me that a crockpot is the coolest electric gadget in the kitchen... go away microwave!  (thanks Holly :)

i had no idea. no idea that dinner could be made while cooking up my regular scrambled eggs, bacon and toast for breakfast. no idea a quick slice of this and dice of that, plus water plus three slow cooking hours equaled the most beautiful, well-aroma'ed greeting i've ever met at the crack of a front door!

you get it right? with a brief morning effort, you can have a delicious dinner ready the instant you walk in the door after work/school/day tripping to your favorite national park... i don't know. it's a glorious invention.


i could go on,... consider yourselves lucky... here's what happens when the crockpot goes on.


spring is here or near - wooooh! - and while you may still have a few of those roots and tubers from your winter stash, take this as your last chance to make the perfect batch of slow cooking goodness. your mouth, nostrils and eyes will thank you instantly... well, after the 3+ hours of course :)


Mexican beef pot roastadapted from Harvest Eating, Keith Snow
serves three to four, 3 hours 30 minutes

3 lb beef chuck roast
4 cloves garlic
1 poblano pepper
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. tomato sauce
4 c. beef broth
1 tbsp ground cumin
1/4 c. all-purpose flour, unbleached
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 potatoes, mix of russet and red potatoes
3 carrots, medium size
4 whole mushrooms, sliced

start by preheating crock pot on high. heat oil in medium skillet on medium heat, saute garlic and pepper for 5 minutes. slice potato into large cubes and place in bottom of crock pot. remove garlic and pepper from skillet and set aside. place flour in flat bottom bowl or large plate, mix in salt and pepper, and fully dredge both sides of beef roast. saute both sides of roast in skillet, about 2-3 minutes per side. peel carrots and cut into thirds, and slice mushrooms. remove roast and place atop potatoes in crock pot. place carrots and mushrooms around sides of roast.

return garlic and pepper back to skillet, adding tomato sauce and ground cumin. slowly stir in beef broth and bring to a slow boil. boil for 5 minutes, then pour over roast in crock pot - add slowly to keep pepper and garlic atop beef roast. cook on high for 3 hours.

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