Pot Roast (Braising) Tips and Techniques

Greg the Liberal Chef is going to bring us a semi-regular column on cooking techniques. Feel free to email Greg and let him know what you think of his column!

Have you ever wandered the grocery store meat bins and wondered why two cuts of meat from the same cow can be priced so differently? Today I noticed that a Ribeye Roast was selling for $9 / lb yet the same grade of beef, cut from the bottom round was going for $1.79 / lb! Yikes! That's a budget buster. What makes it even more startling is that the bottom round is actually more flavorful. It's hard to believe but its true. Feeling frugal, I bought the bottom round, also known as a rump roast.

Cuts of meat like the chuck, bottom round and shank get little attention from most folks. This might be because you can't simply throw them in the oven or on the grill and get a tasty meal. If you did this you would be more likely to end up with a chewy, tough, dried out piece of jerky.

This is easily explained and remedied by braising the meat, rather than roasting. You see, the more exercise a muscle gets, the more connective tissue is built up in and around the meat. This is what makes the meat tough but the exercise is also what gives these cuts a much deeper flavor. Dry heat cooking, such as roasting, is not effective in breaking down these connective tissues, but moist heat is.

Braising is simply the act of cooking with moist heat. When it comes to braising most meat, you simply need to add some liquid to a covered pan and slowly cook the meat through. You can use stocks, wine, beer, canned soup or any variety of others. The liquid will also comprise the sauce.

Dishes such as pot roast, most stews and the osso bucco are all easy dishes to prepare once you have the braising technique in your repertoire.

Lets take the bottom round (rump) I bought today. I am going to turn it into a pot roast tomorrow. Forgive me if I don't use an exact recipe, but for this kind of cooking, the method is the important thing.

First, find the right pan for this operation. You should find one that comfortably fits the roast and has a tight fitting lid. It should be big enough so that the meat doesn't touch the sides, but small enough that when you add the liquid (usually a few cups to a quart and half) it will come somewhere around halfway up the sides of the roast.

Chop up you favorite hearty vegetables. Onion, carrot and celery are the mainstays but during the winter, I will add some parsnips, red potatoes and a couple of whole cloves of garlic. Cut them into pieces no larger than 3/4 inch, smaller if your roast is tiny. For tender veggies like green peas or asparagus, don't put them in at the beginning. Add them to the pot with 15 minutes to go during the cooking process

Prepare you cooking liquid, so it is handy. I am going to use 2 cups of canned beef broth and a 1/2 cup of red wine. You can use almost anything, but I recommend using broths, bouillons, stocks, soup mixes, or canned soup. (My sister in law makes a killer roast with plain cream of mushroom soup) If you must use straight water, you should salt it. Also, if you choose to use beer or wine alone, be prepared for a very strong taste. Heat the liquid to a simmer while you are following the next few steps. It will save you 10 - 15 minutes of cooking time if your liquid is already hot.

Take the roast out of it packaging and give it a nice coat of salt and pepper. (A couple of good hearty pinches of salt and considerably less pepper)

Pre heat your oven to 350( F.

Heat your cooking pan on the stovetop and add a little oil. When the pan is hot enough, you will get a slight haze of smoke. Drop in the roast and let it sit for a minute or two before turning it 90( with a pair of tongs or a meat fork. Repeat this until the roast is nicely seared all the way around. You want a nice brown crust, not one that is black and burned. (If your pan is too thin on the bottom you can do this in frying pan and transfer the roast and other ingredients to the covered pan just before placing it in the oven.)

At this point you will start to cook your vegetables. If the bottom of the pan is getting crusty from the meat, you can add the veggies all at once, but personally I would remove the meat form the pot and turn the heat down a little bit. There should still be some oil and melted fat from the meat in the pot. Start with you onions. Stir them every few seconds until they get soft and translucent. Then add your carrots and celery and any other vegetables. (A couple of bay leaves add a nice touch at this point too.)

If you are using a thing liquid, like a stock or broth or clear soup, add about 1/8 cup of flour to the cooking vegetables, stirring so that it coats everything and begins to soak up the oil. This will thicken your sauce when you add the liquid

Immediately add your cooking liquid. This will stop any thing from burning on the bottom of the pan. (If it is already badly burnt, stop. Take out the meat and veggies. Scrape the pan clean of the burned up stuff and add the meat veggies and liquid back in) Bring the liquid back to a simmer. When you begin to get bubbles rising all around, put a lid on the pot and place it in your pre heated oven. If your lid isn't snug or leaves big gaps, use a sheet of aluminum foil to cover and tightly and then put the lid on top to hold it down.

The roast should take care of itself. A four pound roast will take about 2 - 2 1/2 hours. The test for doneness is whether the meat is "fork tender". Simply take a fork and see if you can begin to cut into the roast with it. It should fall apart pretty easily. If it's not ready, put it back in the oven. You have a solid 20 minute window where you can pull out the roast and have it be perfect but be careful not to let the roast overcook to long. It will get stringy and dry.

Taste your sauce and add more salt and pepper if you think it needs it or more unsalted liquid if it's too salty.

To serve the roast, slice thick slabs against the grain (across the muscle "strings") and generously ladle on the sauce and vegetables.

Enjoy!

Write me with any questions! Greg the liberal Chef - greg_in_wa@yahoo.com

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