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Culinary Creations: New Year’s pot roast

ARE WE THERE YET?!?!?

The ubiquitous phrase has been spoken by kids for generations as they begrudgingly wait for the family road trip to be over. While this phrase is an indicator of impatience and annoyance by children, it is sure to elicit the same reaction from the adults in the car, as well.

In 2020, for me and many other people, this popular phrase has taken on a whole new meaning. Instead of Disneyland, the Grand Canyon or Wally World, the destination we are all impatiently hurtling toward is the end of 2020. 

No matter what kind of year 2020 was for you, I think we can all agree that it is time for it to end and time for all of us to look beyond the craziness and negative emotions that came with it. As we round out the last few days of the year with the pandemic still rearing its ugly head, it’s easy to see those negative emotions, like fear and anger, all too often. 

My upbringing and experience have led me to believe that difficult times should bring out the best qualities of a person, not the worst. I believe that tough times make tough people. Say it however you want to: A big part of life is handling tough times. Forrest Gump’s mom said that life is like a box of chocolates, and she was right; you do never know what you are going to get. But as a chef, I will tell you that life is like a pot roast too, especially when dealing with tough times like these. After all, making a pot roast is nothing more than taking something tough and undesirable and making it into something that is not just palatable, but downright delicious. Sounds a lot like a pathway to happiness to me.

Before you write me off as some crazed chef, let me explain my point a little more. Just like life, in the kitchen there are times when we have to learn how to handle something tough. In the case of pot roast, that something tough is a cut of meat. Like any braised dish, the key to good pot roast is to keep the temperature around 200 degrees and let it cook for a long time. Basically, the tough meat is best handled by maintaining a low temperature and a high level of patience. The same could be said for dealing with a tough situation in life. In an argument or fight it is always a good idea to avoid getting hot-headed and maintain a low temperature. When things look bleak, and a terrible situation seems like it will never end, having a high level of patience will help you through. In the end, whether it’s dinner or a dilemma, the best way to go about things is low and slow. 

For our pot roast recipe today, we are using what I believe to be the best cut of meat for pot roast: a chuck roast. It has a good fat-to-lean ratio and will stay moist when fully cooked. In addition to the roast, we are adding some hearty vegetables and potatoes to create a full meal. For a twist on the classic recipe, I add some root beer to the roast in addition to the beef stock to give the finished gravy a sweet and savory flavor that really complements the vegetables.

So, try this recipe out for yourself, and next time you are faced with a tough situation, don’t just listen to your head and your heart; maybe give your stomach a try, too. Thank you for reading this year, and I wish you all a happy, healthy and safe 2021. Cheers!

Root beer pot roast

Serves: 4 to 6

Time: About 4 hours 

    

Kosher salt, to taste

Ground black pepper, to taste

1 3-5 pound chuck roast, trimmed

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large yellow onion, large diced

2 medium carrots, peeled and large diced

2 medium parsnips, peeled and large diced

1 head celery, large diced

1 large bulb fennel, trimmed and large diced

10 medium red skin potatoes

5 cloves garlic, peeled

6 sprigs parsley

2 cans root beer

1 quart beef stock

1/4 cup corn starch

1/4 cup tap water, room temperature

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Trim excess fat and silverskin from the outside of the roast. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, and once it is hot, carefully add the roast and sear evenly on all sides. Remove the roast from the pan and set aside.

Add the onions, carrots, parsnips, celery, fennel and garlic to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until caramelized. Deglaze the pan with the root beer, making sure to remove all the bits of fond stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Place the beef in an oven-safe roasting pan and pour in the vegetables and root beer. Add the beef stock and parsley. Cover and bake for 4 to 5 hours or until the meat is fork tender and starting to fall apart.

Once the roast is tender, remove from the pan, strain out the braising liquid and reserve for the sauce. Transfer the vegetables to a serving vessel with the roast.

Pour the braising liquid into a medium sauce pot and bring to a boil. In a small bowl, combine the water and cornstarch with a whisk. Slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into the boiling braising liquid while continuously whisking. Allow the sauce to come back to a full boil. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Pour sauce over the roast and vegetables. Slice or pull and serve.

Culinary Creations is a partnership with Pennsylvania College of Technology’s School of Business & Hospitality and its Le Jeune Chef restaurant, a column by Christopher R. Grove, executive chef at Le Jeune Chef. Watch for Grove’s culinary tips and advice the last Wednesday of each month in The Taste.

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