Pot Roasted Bliss: Spilled Milk #207

Here's my go-to recipe for this comfort food classic.

✈️ LET’S TAKE THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME TOGETHER!  

Have you ever wanted to travel with me — I mean, really travel with me? How does spending nine days and eight nights with me in one of my favorite places on earth sound? This October, you can join me on a trip to Sicily thanks to my friends at Modern Adventure. We’ll explore markets, dine at some amazing restaurants and cook together. Hit this link, and I’ll see you in Sicily!

I am a proud 12-month-a-year pot roast enthusiast who takes the months of July and August off.

Actually, lie. I will make a different type of pot roast, forgoing the gravy element so that I can make pot roast sandwiches in the hot weather months and bathe them in some horseradish-spiked brown mustard (I love Zatarain's Creole Mustard for this) and some thinly sliced red onions and tomatoes from the garden. Grab the mustard — you won’t be disappointed.

Beef pot roast has a rich history that dates back centuries. In fact I would argue since man first boiled meat in a cave or in a depression in a rock, using fired stones to do the boiling, pot roast was one of our species’ first foods when we began cooking for pleasure. Obviously it’s a way to make tough cuts of meat more palatable by cooking them slowly over low heat. In medieval times, European cooks would simmer tough cuts of beef in pots over an open flame for hours, resulting in a tender and flavorful meal. The broth would be a potage for the next meal, and cooks in Africa and Asia all had their versions of the same basic techniques, many in use well before European cooks picked it up.

As the dish evolved, different regions added their own unique twists and seasonings to the recipe. In the United States, beef pot roast became a popular comfort food during the 19th century, particularly in the Midwest, where beef was plentiful.

During the early 20th century, with the invention of the slow cooker, beef pot roast became even more accessible and convenient to make. Families could set it to cook in the morning and come home to a delicious (albeit typically overcooked) homemade meal in the evening.

Today, pot roast of beef is a comfort food classic, and this is my go-to base recipe.

I don’t use stock; I prefer just red wine. I love mushroom-based or mushroom-and-leek pot roast, but I didn’t have any in my fridge. My pal Gail Simmons finishes her brisket with a gremolata that includes horseradish, and I love using that for pot roasts like this one.

Use sake, soy sauce, rock sugar, dashi and season with ginger and garlic and you can take this into a Japanese direction —just serve with short grain white rice. That version will curl your toes. Enjoy.

Recipe: Easy Pot Roast