pic of beef shoulder roast just after browning, just before slow and low in a 250'F oven for 2-3 hours. the dark stuff is...
...Major brand beef base smeared on top of the roast after browning. i'm not convinced browning is necessary but i do it if i have time.
duh, maybe i should start from the beginning. pat dry a nice chunk of marbled shoulder roast and sprinkle with salt. brown top and bottom in oil or butter. for roasts of formidable proportions (and for the ambitious) you might brown the sides too. or say fuck it and don't brown at all. put roast in a heavy pot and add water to cover @ half the roast if you plan to make gravy. or come close to covering roast if you prefer extra stock. rub the top of the roast with some of your fav beef base (or break up a bouillion cube and sprinkle around). cover with lots of sliced onion (skins too?). a bay leaf? i like the fresh ones. bring to boil on the stove top, then cover with lid or tightly foil. into preheated oven. @250F. cook at low temp for a long time. i've never dared less than 2.5 hours. 3-4 hours is about right. add potatoes (carrots?) about an hour before quitting time if you want.
left over pot roast is your friend so i always make too much. and my attention span is limited. so wednesday pot roast is served as is. just a hunk of melt in your mouth beef with whateva else you're having (the potatoes/carrots are convenient). beef pot goes in fridge till ready for left overs. phase two. it's friday night or weekend and there's a bonus meal in the fridge. the fat is easy to fork away from the cold stock. feed it to your chickens. put meat left overs on a cutting board. warm stock. strain if you want. season stock with salt/pepper to taste. add more base if you feel the beefy-ness is lacking. sometimes i like to thicken at this point with Wondra, a tblspoon or 2 dissolved in a little cold water. repeat until gravey-ness factor achieved. cut up meat into any shape imaginable and warm in stock/gravy. mashed potato volcano time.
duh, maybe i should start from the beginning. pat dry a nice chunk of marbled shoulder roast and sprinkle with salt. brown top and bottom in oil or butter. for roasts of formidable proportions (and for the ambitious) you might brown the sides too. or say fuck it and don't brown at all. put roast in a heavy pot and add water to cover @ half the roast if you plan to make gravy. or come close to covering roast if you prefer extra stock. rub the top of the roast with some of your fav beef base (or break up a bouillion cube and sprinkle around). cover with lots of sliced onion (skins too?). a bay leaf? i like the fresh ones. bring to boil on the stove top, then cover with lid or tightly foil. into preheated oven. @250F. cook at low temp for a long time. i've never dared less than 2.5 hours. 3-4 hours is about right. add potatoes (carrots?) about an hour before quitting time if you want.
left over pot roast is your friend so i always make too much. and my attention span is limited. so wednesday pot roast is served as is. just a hunk of melt in your mouth beef with whateva else you're having (the potatoes/carrots are convenient). beef pot goes in fridge till ready for left overs. phase two. it's friday night or weekend and there's a bonus meal in the fridge. the fat is easy to fork away from the cold stock. feed it to your chickens. put meat left overs on a cutting board. warm stock. strain if you want. season stock with salt/pepper to taste. add more base if you feel the beefy-ness is lacking. sometimes i like to thicken at this point with Wondra, a tblspoon or 2 dissolved in a little cold water. repeat until gravey-ness factor achieved. cut up meat into any shape imaginable and warm in stock/gravy. mashed potato volcano time.
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