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Pot Roast Tweaks

post #1 of 10
2/3/11 at 3:19pm
Thread Starter 

Well, I finally managed to take my pot roast to the next level, I think.  It was always tough before and this one turned out great, at least according to my family.  I tell them to be honest with me and they've told me in the past when stuff doesn't turn out right.  Here's what I did....as always, I welcome input, suggestions, critique, and improvements:

 

Meat: chuck roast.

Seasoned with kosher salt, pepper, thyme, marjoram and dusted with flour, let sit out for about 30 minutes

 

in a 5 qt dutch oven, rendered about 5 strips chopped up hardwood smoked thick cut bacon, left about 3 Tbsp fat in pan.

 

Seared meat about 2 minutes each side, set aside

 

Sauteed a mire poix: about 2 c each of diced celery and carrots, with about 3/4 c diced shallots, for about 10 minutes.  Added 3 large cloves minced garlic with 2 minutes remaining.

 

Deglazed dutch oven with about 1/4 cup of merlot (red wine), placed chuck roast back in.  Added approx 3 c beef stock, another 1/4 cup merlot, and 3 heaping spoons of tomato paste.  In total, liquid rose about 3/4ths the way up the side of the chuck roast, and added 3 bay leaves to liquid.

 

Topped roast with 1/2" diced Idaho russet potatoes, approx 6 cups, and covered dutch oven.  Braised at 275F for about 5 hours.

 

Took out the roast and strained veggies to collect sauce.  Let sauce sit in gravy separator to extract the fat.  Used fat and flour to make a roux, then added the remaining braising liquid to make a gravy....this is one area I had to reinforce that would not have tasted good on its own.  I had to add beef stock, salt, pepper, and bay leaves when making the gravy.  I had always thought you could just make it with the braising liquid after the roast was done.

 

At any rate, the taste was pretty good, although probably not as good as I'd say I've had out a restaurant that speclializes in this kind of dish.  Welcome any comments.......

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post #2 of 10
2/3/11 at 4:13pm

Why did your braising liquid not taste good?...What did it taste like?

To me, this screams for some fresh thyme, IMO....your heavy on the bay, I would have used one, unless you had 20lbs of meat.

 

Cooking six cups of potatoes on top of your meat for five hrs might have something to do with the taste of your braising liquid.

 

I would roast the potatoes for the last hour or so , uncovered along with some carrots and onions, they will brown nicely, and take on some of the flavor from the braising liquid, then serve them along with the roast.

 

I made beef tips & mushrooms the other day for a special, used chuck, did not use any base to enhance the dish, onions, crimini mushrooms, fresh thyme, garlic, s&p, one bay leaf and about a half bottle of cab along with some Au jus that I make from pan drippings & trim when I roast off tops for cold roast beef. I will cover for the first hr, then finish uncovered. Did not need to thicken.

 

I will some times also use beer to braise with, Bass Ale or Sierra Nevada in place of the wine.

Works very well with lamb shanks.

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post #3 of 10
2/3/11 at 5:54pm
One thing I might suggest is to add the tomato paste when you are mire poix. Cooking the paste first tends to mellow it out and reduce some bitter "rawness" out of it.

mjb.
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post #4 of 10
2/3/11 at 8:47pm

If your au jus is lacking richness and depth, try seasoning your roast with a tablespoon or so of instant coffee, along with the herbs, before dredging it with flour. 

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post #5 of 10
2/3/11 at 9:05pm

I'd have 2 bay leaves in there the minute you put the lid on it to sit and simmer for that amount of meat.  I'm glad you posted this as I'm making one for tonight.  It's been going for an hour so far and I just realised I'd forgotten the tomato paste (puree), so I reckon it should be fine if I pop some in now, as late as it may be, but I'm cooking it super slow and will add a little sugar to help it.  Forgot the bacon too - keep getting interrupted with other things today - so whereas it may not be perfect, I'm sure it should be edible.  Will just chuch a long middle bacon rasher into the juices now.  Thanks for the reminder :)

 

I go heavier on the wine, at least half a bottle.  Makes the gravy so much richer and infuses the meat really nicely over a long period.  Helps it get very very soft.

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post #6 of 10
2/4/11 at 3:56am

You don't need to flour the meat. 

 

I never understood the point of putting beef stock in a beef pot roast.  I just add water.  After it braises for 3hrs (5 omg!) the water has basically turned into a beef stock hasn't it?  I find that just adding water instead, the braising liquid becomes strong enough for my taste.

 

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post #7 of 10
2/4/11 at 6:45pm

Update on the pot roast...it turned out great.  Used only half of it, so have enough to make a pie with it maybe tomorrow night.  (My night off tonight, it's takeaway :)  Other half is flying off on business to Bangkok for a week, so it's his night to provide hehe  )  The gravy is extra tasty today, so by tomorrow it should be perfect after all the flavours marry and get to know each other.  Maybe the addition of some diced cooked potatoes and some peas/beans/carrots.  Yum yum licklips.gif

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post #8 of 10
2/6/11 at 1:21am
Thread Starter 

Thanks all for the input...very good suggestions!  The braising liquid didn't have that beefy slightly salty taste I was expecting...maybe it shouldn't have, I'm not sure since I don't make pot roast very often.  My wife and I both tasted it and made the same comment.  Will definitely use thyme and less bay leaf next time, I agree that sounds like a good tweak.  Good idea on uncovering and roasting potatoes the last hour.  I've done this recipe twice now, the same way.  I could not get the chuck roast to get tender in 3 hours...so I'm not sure why it took 5, but it did.  I checked it religiously for tenderness. 

 

One question I have is, should I have just set the roast right on top of the sauteed mire poix like I did?  Or should I have removed the mire poix, placed the roast on the bottom, then topped with the mire poix?  I get confused on what's best or most appropriate technique.

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post #9 of 10
2/6/11 at 5:54am



 

Quote:
Originally Posted by folsom530 View Post

Thanks all for the input...very good suggestions!  The braising liquid didn't have that beefy slightly salty taste I was expecting...maybe it shouldn't have, I'm not sure since I don't make pot roast very often.  My wife and I both tasted it and made the same comment.  Will definitely use thyme and less bay leaf next time, I agree that sounds like a good tweak.  Good idea on uncovering and roasting potatoes the last hour.  I've done this recipe twice now, the same way.  I could not get the chuck roast to get tender in 3 hours...so I'm not sure why it took 5, but it did.  I checked it religiously for tenderness. 

 

One question I have is, should I have just set the roast right on top of the sauteed mire poix like I did?  Or should I have removed the mire poix, placed the roast on the bottom, then topped with the mire poix?  I get confused on what's best or most appropriate technique.


Nothing a little salt can't fix.  I have a hard time believing that 5 hrs didn't result in a beefy tasting braising liquid.  I can't imagine what went wrong.  Too much liquid maybe?

 

When I make a braise I chope the mirepoix very finely so there's never a question of placing the roast on top, there's enough liquid so that the roast sits on the bottom and the liquid surrounds it from all sides except on top.  However with pot roast I love the texture of veggies and with a finely chopped mirepoix the veggies literally melt into the sauce.  So in the last hour of cooking I throw in freshly chopped mushrooms, carrots, and pearl mushrooms and sometimes diced potatoes.  Then there's plenty of texture.
 

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post #10 of 10
2/7/11 at 6:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by folsom530 View Post

 

 

One question I have is, should I have just set the roast right on top of the sauteed mire poix like I did?  Or should I have removed the mire poix, placed the roast on the bottom, then topped with the mire poix?  I get confused on what's best or most appropriate technique.

Pot roast on top of mirepoix.  That way it stays in the sauce to flavour it very nicely.  When your roast is tender enough take it out and cpver to keep warm, then take all those lovely juices and veg and push thru a sieve (used the back of a ladle or similar).  Toss away what's in the sieve, season the gravy, thicken if needed.  Yum!

 

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