My idiotic problem . . .

[kokopuffs]

I read somewhere, either in THE PROFESSIONAL CHEF or in the Feb/Mar issue of FINE COOKING magazine, that braises should cook uncovered allowing the steam to escape. Otherwise the steam will overcook the meat. Forgive me if I'm wrong.

So far I've cooked 4 braises, two pot roasts and two pork shoulders; the meat was tender and juicy - not dry. The meat cooked slowly for at least 6 hours (bubbles rose at approximately 1 bubble per second), uncovered, on the stovetop. Slowly.

Meats preferred for braising are generally the cheapest cuts that come from the anatomy located closest to the ground.

Some of my information also comes from Michael Comstedt, Executive Chef and Director at Denver's Cookstreet School Of Fine Cooking. I took a class on braising from him and his staff. The school itself is a very fine establishment and I intend to take additional classes.

[marmalady]

Hi, Marzoli - I think you could put a little beer - maybe a Dos Equis - in the bottom of the pan, would give it a great aroma and base to use for a sauce if you're making one.

What mexican spices are you using for your rub? My first inclination would be to lose the bread crumbs - I'm afraid they may burn - plus, mexicans don't use bread crumbs!

Oh, yes, and get a bone-in loin roast if you can and LEAVE THE FAT ON!!!! The fat will provide flavor, and meld with the spice rub and just get good and darn delicious. And as Alexia said, take the meat out of the oven before it reaches your desired finished temperature. Let it rest for a good 15-20 minutes (you can put it on a platter and loosely cover with foil), while you're making your gravy/sauce. Good luck!

[shroomgirl]

Pork steak is sliced shoulder...only in St. Louis guys!!! We eat more pork than the nation on Memorial Day and I would wager that brats and pork steaks hit the grill the most.
....Your husband will not know that pork shoulder roast is pork steak unless you tell him.....they should be coming down in price just ask the butcher not to cut the steaks...
Saute onions, garlic add chilis, oregano and cumin.....

[Marzoli]

Shroomgirl: if I try the shoulder, do you recommend in water, top of stove, or on rack in oven?
I think I can never match the meat with the way, so to speak. I have never, ever been good with meats, but I want to produce some pork that can be shredded for Mexican food like enchiladas as part of a topping with peppers, onions, that kind of thing. If I could just get the right cut of meat and the right way to prepare it so it would taste good, I can do all the rest of the meal right down to the guacamole (HAHA-I know that's easy!) and black beans and rice.

Regarding those bread crumbs: I got that from a recipe from Epicurius for Mexican pork that used pork loin. I wondered about that part, but I was willing to give it a whirl. It called for the usual Mexican oregano, cumin, that kind of thing, plus some hot peppers crushed. I'm still not sure about that, but it did say on a rack in the oven.

I sure do feel dumb! Maybe I should stick to hamburgers!

[shroomgirl]

On stove with beef stock.....saute onions, garlic add spices then your pig shoulder or butt. Cover and cook on simmer....medium low for a few hours....test for tenderness.
Practice....and ask.

[Marzoli]

Thanks, shroomgirl!

[riverrun]

If you are using tough cuts of meat i would braise them and there is no rule against marinating the meat before hand, hence in beef burgundy. The temp of ur liqiud will determine ur end result u want it at a lazy bubble almost around about 170-180 degrees so be sure not to set ur oven temp at to high of a temp to cause it to boil.
In turn if u are roasting it then u should use no liquid at all if u want to add flavor or are using a lean cut of meat u may want to bard it or add fat to it whether it be bacon or fat back.

[Svadhisthana]

Check out the April issue of Cook's Illustrated for more information. I'm going to make the "Cook's" roast next week.

[Dear Abby]

My poor, dear Marzoli,

Dear Abby sympathizes with your "idiotic" problem. As a new bride, Abby attempted to make a beef roast, but ended up with a heavy black object roughly the size and shape of a football, and nearly as edible!

However, today Abby is often asked for the secret to her incredibly moist and tender beef pot roast. Her secret, as you must surely know, is to employ a private chef.... Henri! When informed of your plight (and when lavishly bribed with the finest wine in Abby's cellar), Henri agreed to help. Abby pretended not to notice the single tear that Henri discretely wiped away as I read your post aloud to him.

Henri does not give a recipe per se, but a method.

If you follow his method precisely, you are guaranteed to have fork-tender beef every time. My sweet Henri even agreed to share his method for making a flavorful, lump-free gravy to serve with your beef. Pay close attention now! These are the words of Chef Henri (as transcribed by Florence, Abby's personal secretary):


"Marzoli, it is simple. Tough, dry meat is caused by cooking too fast at too high a temperature. For tender pot roast, you should use a method called BRAISING. The ones who told you this were correct. I shall elaborate.

Remember, Marzoli, this is critically important. The method of cooking is more important than the cut of beef you choose! Why, you ask? Because long-braising can transform the toughest of meats. Be sure that you are braising rather than roasting if you select a blade chuck, top sirloin or top rump roast.

Whatever cut of meat you choose, use a large, deep stovetop-to-oven pot with lid. A Dutch oven is perfect for braising.

To BRAISE is to cook (covered) in a small amount of barely simmering water until very tender. The liquid can be stock, wine, or just plain water. (A French-style pot roast - Boeuf à la Môde - would be first marinated in red wine.)

Marzoli, this is how to cook your large cut of beef:

First, season the beef with salt and pepper, or whatever you like. Personally, I use a blend of salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, ground celery seed, ground oregano, and ground rosemary. I mix this to my liking and keep it in a glass jar with a screw-top lid.

Then, SEAR the beef in a large, heavy skillet or your Dutch oven using a small amount of hot oil on medium-high burner. Turn until nicely browned on all sides. (The real purpose of searing is to develop flavor and color rather than to seal in juices.)

After searing, add a small amount of brown stock to beef in Dutch oven. The liquid should cover no more than 1/3 thickness of the beef, or less. Over direct heat with the burner on medium, allow pot roast to barely come to a simmer. Cover the Dutch oven or your deep roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil - then replace the lid (over the foil) before placing in oven. Braise in 250 degree oven. The beef is cooked very slowly to soften the tough proteins and to melt the beef collagen (connective tissues). This will take about 2 1/2 to 3 hours or more, depending on the cut and size of your roast.

With moist-heat cooking, I never use a meat thermometer. Do not worry about that. A meat thermometer is not necessary when we are braising, rather than roasting, Marzoli. The extreme tenderness and clear juices when piercing with a meat fork will be your indication of doneness. Trust Henri on this.

You may allow some aromatic root vegetables such as onions, carrots, parsnips to long-braise with the meat and juices, blending and concentrating all the flavors - or add fresh vegetables nearer to the end of cooking to control the degree of doneness. Just remember to keep it all covered!

One option (and my personal preference) is to place the beef to be braised on a bed of MIREPOIX (50% diced onions, 25% diced celery, 25% diced carrots) which you can later purée to thicken the juices. Especially when cooking with vegetables and herbs, the remaining liquid will be intensely flavorful, often being thick enough by reduction alone.

Remove pot roast and vegetables from roasting pan to your serving dish and keep warm.

To make GRAVY:

Measure remaining liquid. Skim off excess fat, if necessary. Return liquid to roasting pan on stove top. For each cup of braising juices that remains, measure 1 tablespoon of flour and 2 tablespoons of water into a small bowl ( Wondra or Pillsbury's Shake & Blend brands work great for lump-free gravies). Mix well with small wire whisk. Stir this flour mixture into braising juices. Cook over medium flame - stirring constantly until thickened.

Serve with roast beef -- and learn to accept compliments graciously!"

Chef Henri

[Marzoli]

My most humble thanks, Dear Abby.

Hi Marzoli,

My condolences...meat is expensive and it must be very frustrating to end up with so many disappointing main dishes. I guess we're all 'idiots' at something...I can't make a decent fried egg to save my life. Fortunately my husband makes beautiful fried eggs. They're one of the half dozen things he's figured out how to cook!

If I was consistently having this type of problem I'd be tempted to have my oven professionally checked out. Is it possible that it's not holding the correct temperature? Because roasts cook for such a long time I would think temperature variation could be really problematic.

Anyway, we don't eat much red meat, but I can offer a few tips for roasting poultry.

Chicken: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and then cook at 350-375 degrees. I never put stuffing in a chicken (it gets too greasy) but I do have a couple of tricks to keep it juicy. I put a peeled, cored apple in the cavity, or a whole, halved orange or half a grapefruit. I also pour unsweetened fruit juice (usually orange or grapefruit) over the bird and then sprinkle lots of garlic on it. Baste, baste, baste!

Turkey breast: Preheat and cook as above. Rub bird with olive oil and then dowse with fruit juice and sprinkle garlic all over it. Again, baste, baste, baste!

Garlic and citrus go very well together, oddly enough. Pan gravy from this combination is really tasty and it's a pretty color, too. I'm not a big gravy fan, but I love this gravy. It's tangy!

Oh, I did remember something about roasting beef after all. Get one of those tenderizer gizmos with the sharp teeth that you can roll back and forth over the meat to pierce it and break down the connective tissue. Then marinate the beef in vodka and put (covered tightly) in the fridge overnight. Pan sear before roasting.

Okay, now I'm hungry.

[Marzoli]

Thanks FunnyTummy! (I like your name!) I have a new dutch oven coming from Le Creuset. I'll be trying this again as soon as it gets here.
I've been reading a lot about cooking meats, and after all the info you guys have given added to what I've read, I feel sure that the next time will be the charmed one.
Thanks.

[ShawtyCat]

You are not alone. I tried and mine was dry too.

I was going through my On Food & Cooking (McGee) and this is what he said about my poor roast.

" You will want to sear the meat, either in an initially superhot oven or in a large frying pan, if you prize the brown crust and its intense flavor, and don't mind if the meat is somewhat drier as a result. But if juiciness is your desideratum, then skip the initial browning."

He goes into more detail on roasting but I can't type that much info. It's on page 119 of the book if you want to read more about roasting.

I also saw on FoodTV (yeah I watch on occasion) on the show Food 911 where they were cooking a Pork Roast. The guy said to buy a 5lb Bone In Pork Roast and soak it for 8 hours or overnight (max) in a brine solution:

1 c Brown Sugar
1 c Kosher Salt
1 Gallon Water
1T whole Peppercorns

Ahhh why don't I just post a link to the recipe for you instead of yakking on and on.
Bone In Pork Roast Recipe - Food 911 on FoodTV.com

Hope this works for you. I plan to try it on my next shopping trip so I can 'Conquer the Roast'. (That would make a nice name for a dish wouldn't it?? )

Jodi