GRANDMA'S ROAST

I remember this from my childhood....

SERVES: 6 +/-

PREP TIME:  30-40 MINUTES

COOKING TIME:  2-1/2 – 3 HOURS

INGREDIENTS:

1                Chuck roast:  4-5 pounds, even thickness, 

                 fat NOT removed

2 large      Yellow onions

                HEAVY 6-8 quart Dutch oven with lid

                Fresh ground pepper

  Cornstarch

                Water

               

                Salt

               

DIRECTIONS:

There are two really difficult things about making this roast – having patience in the beginning, and having patience waiting to eat it.

So – here we go.  Place the Dutch oven on a burner on high heat.  When the pot is fiery hot, a piece of what paper will begin to scorch.  At this point, carefully place the roast in the center of the pot. And MAKE SURE YOU TAKE THAT GROCERY STORE ‘DIAPER’ OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE MEAT!  That’s the voice of experience speaking!

The roast will begin to sizzle like mad.  Here’s your first lesson in patience.  Leave it alone.  After 3-4 minutes, see if you can EASILY loosen it from the bottom of the pan.  If it’s properly seared, it will come loose without force.  When it’s loose, flip it over and do the same thing – be patient!  When the other side is darkly seared, do the same with the perimeter of the roast.  We are trying to sear in all the juices.  This entire process may take 20-25 minutes.

When the roast is nice and brown, reduce the heat as low as possible and cover the pot.  Now – more patience.  Check the pot after five minutes – you want to hear a tiny sizzle, and see a little of the juices in the bottom of the pan – but you do not want those juices to char/evaporate.  Cover the pot but keep checking every five minutes until the heat is just right.  (I have a gas range and I move my pot from the biggest, hottest flame to a burner with a tiny simmer eye… and the flame works best just a tiny bit higher than ‘off’.

After the temp is just right, peel the onions and cut them into 8 wedges and toss them in the pot.  Put the lid on and enjoy the divine aroma as the roast cooks.  Peek in occasionally to make sure the juices are not scorching.

After the first hour, add a generous amount of fresh ground black pepper all over the meat and onions.  Return the lid and relax.

Cooking time will vary:  4 pounds will take about 2 hours, 5 pounds closer to 3 hours.

When the roast is tender, remove it CAREFULLY (because it will probably fall apart) to a platter, and cover it with foil.  Leave the onions in the pot.

GRAVY (au jus):  Place the pan over medium heat and bring the juices to a gentle simmer.  Dissolve 2 TBSP of cornstarch in a cup of cold water.  Slowly stir into the juice/onion mixture.  If the juice is too thick, gradually add more water.  Not thick enough – dissolve 2 more TBSP of cornstarch in 1/2 C of cold water and gradually add.  When you like the consistency, gradually add salt to taste.

SLICE the roast and add it, and any juices back to the pan with the gravy for 10-15 minutes on very low heat.  Sometimes I return the whole roast, and any juices that have seeped out, back to the pan but I find slicing better, as the meat can be rather dry by itself.

In any case, this is an impressive main course with a mid-price cut of meat.

Note:  You can add carrots and/or potatoes in the last 30 minutes, but I don’t recommend it.  This roast, left ‘unmolested’ by veggies, is like high-dollar beef cooked in au jus.  Try it once without adding anything.

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As an aside:  I recently found the 7-quart SIMPLY CAPHALON Dutch oven shown here at Bed, Bath & Beyond. It's a lighter gauge than their high-dollar line and was priced at $49.95.  At the register, they took off a 10% promotion fee AND I had a 20% off coupon - so this pot was CHEAP!  And it's non-stick and it has a glass cover that I love.  I've since gone back and bought three of their frying pans!