Comfort Food – Easy-Does-It Pot Roast
By Joan Bernstein
What does “comfort food” mean to you? Is it steeped in tradition, nostalgia, tied to the seasons? Is it a celebration, a panacea, a practical solution to basic needs? Websters’ Unabridged Dictionary offers an amplitude of definitions and synonyms, but they all boil down to the same idea: comfort food is “a state of ease and satisfaction of bodily wants.” I could add to that ‘of emotional, psychological and intellectual satisfaction.’
Comfort food provides a sense of well-being. In an economy that impelled President Herbert Hoover to assure America of “a chicken in every pot,” consumers turned to local agriculture, Victory gardens- the land- and did what Americans do: they braved out the Great Depression and, later, the exigencies of a world war. Is our tenacity any different now? America is still the melting pot of possibilities, of ways and means. We may be down, but we’re not out. Our forebears knew how to give substance to their hopes and dreams. They gave us traditions to treasure, recipes for sustenance of body and spirit, from the prosaic to the sublime, that warm our hearts, our souls- and our bellies.
America is, essentially, a “meat and potatoes” population: humans are omnivores. While some choose to be herbivores, we are primarily eaters of flora and fauna. We love our meat proteins, amplified by fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices. We can- and do- enjoy one or the other separately, but in combination, for flavor, aroma, color, conception, little pleases the senses more. Fortunately for us, fresh vegetables are available year-round at every market. We have the added benefit of selecting what is in season.
The first primary fusion that comes to mind is potted meat in any form. If a melting pot is an amalgamation of people, potted meats- whole roasts, chunky stews, fricassees, gumbos, to name a few- are a coalescence of the fruits of the earth. Meat, poultry and fish of every kind, wild and domestic, slow cooked with vegetables, have been a staple of the dinner table since vessels that could withstand heat were invented- and undoubtedly before, as attested to by pig and steer barbecues and clambakes, when protein and vegetables are cooked slowly in a pit. Luckily, today we have a wide choice of heatproof receptacles, from cast iron, copper, steel and aluminum vehicles that go from stovetop to oven; glass, ironstone and ceramic casseroles; to crockpots and slow roasters. Such diversity to produce a one-pot meal!
Potted meats require a few simple preparation techniques plus a long, slow simmer, ideally when the weather is cold. Warmth is the essence of a lusty stew or pot roast. To begin the process you brown some chunky-cut onions and garlic in a brazier or heavy pot large enough to contain all your ingredients. Next, you rub seasoned flour into the meat, sear it in the same pot, browning it well on all sides, to seal in the juices. You tuck the onions and meat in together, pour in some rich stock, cover the pot, and walk away, letting the meat simmer on a very low light until it is tender. Now you add your vegetables, cover again, and cook until the veggies are done to your taste. The aroma alone is glorious. Your mouth is watering. This is comfort food!
Easy-Does-It Pot Roast
3 lb. chuck roast
Mixture of flour, salt, pepper, basil and thyme, for dredging meat (cumin, paprika optional)
Vegetable oil
4 large Spanish onions, cut in chunks
6-8 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
Fat from 4 strips of cooked bacon (about 4 T.)
4 c. beef stock (homemade, low-sodium canned, packaged, or 2 beef bouillon cubes
dissolved in hot water)
4-6 carrots, scraped and quartered
4 large parsnips, scraped and cut into large pieces
2 stalks celery, cut into 3″ pieces
2 large sweet potatoes, each cut in 4-6 thick slices
(Optional: button mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, turnips, winter squash, or other root vegetables)
Sauté the onions and garlic in oil in a brazier or wide heavy pot (large enough to contain all the meat and vegetables) until browned on the edges, but not caramelized. Be careful not to burn the garlic: it will turn bitter. Remove the mixture to a bowl; stir in the bacon fat. Set aside.
Spread the seasoned flour mixture on a large piece of waxed paper. Thoroughly dredge the meat in the flour mixture on all sides, pressing the flour and spices into the meat. Heat enough oil to just cover the bottom of the brazier or pot. Sear the meat well on all sides over medium-hot heat to make a crust that will keep in the juices, using tongs to turn the roast, so as not to pierce the meat.
Put the onion/garlic mixture back into the pot with the meat. Nestle the roast among the onions, pour in the beef stock, and cover the pot. Lower the heat and simmer until the meat is tender. Add the vegetables. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are done to your taste. Taste; correct seasonings. With tongs and a slotted spoon, remove meat to a serving platter; surround with vegetables. Keep hot.
Reduce the meat and vegetable juices in the pot over high heat until thickened. Pour over the meat and vegetables, or serve separately from a gravy boat.
Garnish the pot roast with parsley, if desired. Serve with a vinaigrette-dressed salad.
Serves 2-4.
Any leftover meat and gravy makes a wonderful hot sandwich the next day. Leftover vegetables can be pureed together to be served as “mash” or made into patties and fried to accompany another meal.
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Joan Bernstein has been a teacher (retired), artist, motorsports photojournalist, cat breeder/exhibitor and writer for more years than she cares to think about. Currently, she is a regular contributor to Edible East End Magazine. Growing up on a duck farm, travelling North America since childhood, and living in Europe for three years, exposed her to the pleasures of local and regional cuisines. Everyone in her family, including her daughters and grandchildren, has been in the food business at one time or another. A small-scale food processor, Joan’s Paumanok Preserves are “Long Island’s Gold Standard.” Please visit Joan at www.paumanokpreserves.com and on Facebook.
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