First Post! 12/13/2011
 
The year is winding down and we are now catching our breath before Christmas is upon us. One thing I have focused on this year is learning to cook grass-fed meats, particuarly the roast. I've done it enough times now that I don't have to read the recipe carefully, if at all. I adapted a recipe by Scott Peacock from BHG magazine. He uses an oven to cook the roast for several hours, but I'm too frugal to run the oven for that long for just one meal unless it's a holiday. If you're interested in enjoying an easy crock pot meal, here's how I do it:
Ingredients:
One 3 - 5 lb.Roast (I've tried English, Chuck, and Pikes Peak roasts thus far
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil plus enough to coat the roast
2 Tsp. Sea Salt (medium ground works better than huge granules)
2 Tbsp. Butter (I sometimes use equal amounts of butter and lard)
4 small sweet onions peeled and quartered
5  cloves of garlic, peeled, trimmed and halved
1/4 dry white wine (I admit I sometiimes use a hearty bergundy even though it turns the onions a funky purple)
1/2 cup chicken or beef broth
1 bay leaf
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
7 fresh parsley sprigs
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into medium-sized pieces
1 stalk of celery, cleaned and cut into medium-sized pieces
5 medium potatoes, cleaned and cut lengthwise (use your favorite kind)

The night before: Rinse and pat roast dry. Set on plate and slather in olive oil like it's going to the beach. Get every nook and cranny covered. Massage the sea salt into the meat on every side until it's completely worked in. Let sit uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. Yes, completely naked for all the condiments to see! It'll be fine, trust me! 
   About eight hours before you want to eat, remove the roast from the fridge and let it set out to warm up to room temperature. (About twenty minutes should do it.) In a large skillet (I prefer my cast iron, but DO NOT use a non-stick skillet) over medium heat, heat the olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter. When the butter is foamy, brown the roast thoroughly on every side. You can use a pair of tongs to hold it upright while browning the short sides. Don't hurry this part. Set the roast aside on a plate.
   Drain most of the fat from the pan, being careful to keep any brown bits in the pan. Add remaining butter and onions to pan. Stir and cook until onions begin to turn brown. Add garlic cloves and cook for another two minutes. Add broth and wine to pan. Scrape pan as the liquid heats to dislodge all the brown bits from the pan (this process is called "deglazing")
   Transfer onions to your crock pot and place roast on top. Pour hot liquid over top of roast. Cover with bay leaf, thyme and parsley. (You can tie the parsley stems together in a "bouquet" which makes them easy to remove after cooking.)If you're going to be gone all day, tuck the potatoes around the roast and place carrots on top. If you'll be home, set the timer so you can add these about four hours before you plan to eat. I typically cook the roast for about eight hours, but have flexed to shorter periods when my schedule was pressed and the meat tasted great. It has always been fork-tender and oh-so-tasty! I hope you like this! Oh, I've also done just the roast without the carrots and potatoes as my son likes it better that way. Makes for more work at dinner time, but the meat is teriffic.

Add Comment