Pot Roast with Roasted Vegetables

A year ago this week we were in Oahu, a piece of heaven on earth, with friends enjoying the warm weather, ocean breezes, white sandy beaches, blue skies, and exquisite landscapes. If I close my eyes I can still take myself back there. Like some say, what a difference a year makes. It has been snowing for four days here in the midwest. Double digit snow accumulations along with icy, snow packed roads have made for less than desirable driving or running conditions. Getting the long and circular driveways shoveled are exhausting, but not as energizing, as a boot camp workout. Before this snowpocolyse began Thursday evening, I along with hundreds of others, filled a large cart, and waited in the long lines at one of my local grocery stores. This was not a milk and bread mission. Anticipating this hyped winter storm would actually come to fruition, I put together a grocery list containing all of the ingredients needed to make some long over due comfort foods. The Potato Leek Soup and this Pot Roast with Roasted Vegetables were two things I thought would not only get us through the snowy weekend, but would make for some great leftover meals in the upcoming week. Which would mean each time I opened up the refrigerator door I could find myself saying 'Hello Delicious' outloud.

Pot Roast, a timeless combination of melt in your mouth beef, seasoned root vegetables, and a rich, velvety gravy, is quintessentially classic American comfort food. The method of slow cooking meat in a liquid is a century old technique (aka braising), but one not appearing in American cookbooks until the late 19th century. Beef chuck, brisket, short ribs, and pork shoulder, generally considered tougher cuts of meat, have always been considered ideal braising options, as they are rich in marbled fat and connective tissue. Over a long, slow cooking process those qualities convert to gelatin, resulting in swoonworthy, fork tender, pull-apart perfection bites of deliciousness. Many of us grew up with Pot Roasts gracing the Sunday dinner table. When craving the taste of a childhood memory meal, we might find ourselves seeking it out on diner menus. Yet, invariably we never seem to find a Pot Roast to live up to the ones we remembered. Get ready to create new memories.

Cooking options for a Pot Roast are roasting in the oven or cooking in a slow cooker. This one stays with a traditional approach and uses the oven method. Braising liquids used in Pot Roasts include he options of beef stock, red wine, or a combination of the two. This one uses only beef stock. The aromatics used to flavor the beef and subsequently the gravy range from a myriad of fresh herbs (rosemary and thyme being the most common) to dried herbs to fresh vegetables to spices to various combinations of all of the aforementioned. This version relies primarily on spices and fresh garlic, however, beef bouillon powder and Worcestershire sauce are critical flavor components.

Searing the beef is less about retaining moisture and much more about adding flavor. The key to a good sear is the use of a heavy bottomed pan, like a cast iron skillet, in order to prevent the meat from being 'steamed' rather than being 'seared'. Once seared, the beef is transferred to a roasting pan and the meat is studded with garlic cloves. After pouring the braising liquid over the beef, the pan is tightly covered with aluminum foil and inserted in a preheated 425 degree (F) oven for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, top with carrots and parsnips, tightly recover the pan with foil, reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees (F), and then let cook for up to 5 hours or until it is pull apart fork tender. That's it! Sit back, go to yoga, read a book, watch a movie, sit in a hot tub, or shovel snow. Let the oven do all the work of melding the flavors together.

The difference between a too short or just right roasting time is the difference between a tough roast and one melt in your mouth, fork tender. After several hours of roasting, begin to check for doneness. My four and half pound chuck roast was done perfectly after four hours of roasting at 300 degrees (F), not including the thirty minutes of roasting at 425 degrees (F) for thirty minutes. (See Note below for cooking times.)

Between the beef stock you added to the roasting pan and the juices exuding from the beef, you should have somewhere between three and four cups of liquid at the end of the cooking process. This highly flavored liquid creates the most incredible gravy imaginable. Usually when making a gravy, I transfer the liquid to saucepan, combine some flour and milk together to make a paste, add a little of the heated liquid to the flour/milk mixture, pour that mixture into the saucepan, then whisk until the liquid turns to gravy. But the process for making this gravy is different. You begin by creating a roux with melted butter and flour in a saucepan. As soon as the roux takes on a light brown color (approximately 2-3 minutes of cooking time), slowly add in the liquid. Whisking until it reaches your desired state of gravy consistency. I honesty had a moment when I tasted this rich, velvety, deeply flavored gravy. And if gravies could win medals, this one would earn GOLD. I will never make a savory gravy any other way again. Never ever.

I love roasted potatoes but with a Pot Roast I much prefer mashed potatoes. Yukon Golds hand mashed with their skins on is how we roll here. 

The carrots and parsnips were sweet, fork tender, and went perfectly with this Pot Roast. Of course, Ina Garten has been pairing these two root vegetables for years. If you have never had parsnips before, this Pot Roast gives you the perfect opportunity to discover how deliciously sweet they are.

When serving the Pot Roast, ladle some of the gravy over the meat and arrange the roasted vegetables around it. Sprinkle with chopped flat leaf parsley and bring this jaw dropping platter to the table. This Pot Roast is seriously throw down worthy. In my fantasy world, someone invites me and the Pioneer Woman to a Pot Roast throwdown and this one wins! 

Recipe
Pot Roast with Roasted Vegetables (inspired from multiple sources)
Serves 6-8

Ingredients
Roast
3-5 pound chuck roast, trimmed
2 Tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
4-6 garlic cloves, peeled, quartered
3 cups beef broth
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 Tablespoons dry minced onion
2 Tablespoons beef bouillon powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 fresh bay leaf (could use a dried bay leaf if fresh is not available)
2-3 pounds of carrots, peeled and kept whole
1-2 pounds of parsnips, peeled and kept whole
Optional: Chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish

Gravy
2 cups of the broth/juice from the roast
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Remove chuck roast from the refrigerator at least one hour prior to cooking.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F).
3. Heat olive oil or vegetable oil over high heat in a cast iron or heavy skillet. Sear meat on all sides until browned (approximately 2-3 minutes per side). Transfer meat to a large roasting pan.
4. Insert garlic clove slivers into the roast.
5. In a large mixing bowl/cup, whisk together the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, dry minced onion, beef bouillon powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and bay leaf. Pour over the roast.
6. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil. Roast for 30 minutes.
7. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees (F). Remove pan from oven, add the carrots and parsnips. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Continue to cook for an additional 4-5 hours. The Pot Roast is ready when it is fall apart tender.
8. Remove carrots and parsnips from the roasting pan. Place on a baking sheet and return to the oven to keep warm.
9. Transfer roast to a serving board, cut against the grain in 1/2" slices and place on a large serving platter.  Cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm while you make the gravy.
10. Melt butter in a medium sized saucepan. Add in the 1/4 cup flour and whisk to create a roux. Cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking continuously, until the roux is lightly browned.
11. Slowly stir in two cups of the juices/broth from the roasting pan. Simmer until gravy has thickened. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper.
12. Arrange carrots and parsnips around the roast. Drizzle some of the gravy over the roast, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve. Put remaining gravy in a gravy boat.

Notes: (1) Recommend serving with homemade mashed potatoes rather than putting the potatoes in with the roast. (2) Roasting time will vary based on the size of the roast. For a 3 pound roast allow 3 to 3 1/2 hours, for a 4 to 5 pound roast, allow for 4 to 5 hours of cooking time. (3) You should have at least 3 to 4 cups of roasting broth/juices which would enable you to make a double batch of the gravy. (3) When cutting the pot roast, cut across the grain. (4) Leftovers reheat beautifully in a low temperature oven or in the microwave. Any leftover pot roast also makes great sandwiches.

Oahu, February 2017

Potato Leek Soup

A little more than a week ago the groundhog saw his shadow, predicting at least six more weeks of winter. A couple of days ago came the first snowmaggedon forecast of the season. With the potential for ten to twelve inches of snow I decided I should go into savory comfort food making mode. The kind of food to warm you up after spending hours shoveling the snow. At the top of the list was soup.

One of my friends shared she had made some Potato Leek Soup last week. As I thought about what soup to make, I kept coming back to Potato Leek Soup. It's simple to make, unapologetically hearty, and creamy. All good things.

A large bowl of velvety Potato Leek Soup paired with a salad would make a perfect lunch or light dinner. It's the kind of soup destined to leave you feeling full, feeling satisfied. Two really good things. 

Leeks have a way of taking the humble potato to a new level of deliciousness. Many recipes for Potato Leek Soup call for either the use of Yukon Gold or Russet Potatoes. More specifically they advise against the use of waxy potatoes as they break down more slowly and can render a glue-like texture to the finished soup. 

In general, most Potato Leek Soup recipes there will be a slightly higher proportion of potatoes to leeks. However, some prefer to have equal amounts of each while others call for a higher ratio of leeks to potatoes. This recipe used two pounds of potatoes (Yukon Gold) and one and a half pounds of leeks. 

Some Potato Leek Soup purists use only leeks and potatoes. This less classic version adds celery, garlic, and shallots to the mix. 

Use only the white and light green part of the leeks. Throw the dark green leafy portion away. After cutting the leeks lengthwise, rinse in water to remove any of the sandy soil lurking between its layers. Slice the leeks crosswise into thin half-moons. 

To bring out the most flavor of the leeks, cook them slowly without letting them brown. Sauté them over a low heat in either vegetable oil or butter along with the chopped celery and shallots for approximately 10-15 minutes or until they are soft. Add in the garlic and sauté for 45-60 seconds, long enough to release it's fragrance.

Add the chicken stock, potatoes, bay leaf, and springs of thyme. Bring first to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are knife tender.

Many Potato Leek Soup recipes call for pureeing it in a blender, food processor or with an immersion blender. The use of any of those tools will contribute to a finished soup's gluey texture. To prevent this, remove the potatoes and put them through a ricer. This extra step is definitely worth the time as it will give the finished soup a richer, more velvety texture.

After removing the potatoes, the bay leave and thyme sprigs, process the soup in batches using a food processor, blender or immersion blender (I used a food processor) until it reaches your desired state of creaminess. Transfer the soup puree to a clean pot and add in the riced potatoes. Whisk in the heavy cream, season with salt and pepper, and reheat. The addition of heavy cream enhances the soup's flavor and richness. If  you want a slightly less rich soup, add in milk or additional chicken stock instead. Note: This is a very thick soup, so if you want a thinner soup, add a little more chicken stock.

After ladling the soup into bowls, finish with a drizzle of a good quality olive oil and a garnish some chopped chives. Then sit back, savor its' deliciousness, and enjoy the moment.

If there was ever a soup to warm your soul, especially on a cold, snowy winter day, it would be this utterly satisfying Potato Leek Soup. We loved this soup the day it was made, but we loved it even more the second day as the flavors even further developed. So when either the weather turns cold or you have a craving for soup, put this Potato Leek Soup on the very top of your list. It's comfort food for the soul.

Recipe
Potato Leek Soup (Several adaptations to the Potato-Leek Soup recipe in the cookbook 'Bon Appetit Y'All' by Virginia Willis.)

Ingredients
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil or unsalted butter
2 stalks celery finely diced
3 leeks (approximately 1 1/2 pounds), white and pale green parts only, well washed, halved, and thinly sliced into half-moons
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1 quart (32 ounces) homemade or store bought chicken stock (low-sodium or unsalted)
1 fresh bay leaf
4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme
1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Salt and pepper to taste (Note: I used black pepper, but if you don't want the specks of pepper to show in the finished soup, use white pepper.)
Optional: Good quality olive oil and/or chopped chives for finishing

Directions
1. In a medium-large sized cast-iron Dutch oven or heavy bottomed saucepan. Heat oil or melt butter. Add the celery, shallots, and leeks. Cook until soft,  stirring occasionally, but not browned. Approximately 10-15 minutes. 
2. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (45-60 seconds).
3. Add the potatoes, chicken stock, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer until the potatoes are knife tender (15-20 minutes). 
4. Remove the bay leaf and thyme. Discard.
5. Remove the potatoes and place in a bowl. Put the potatoes through a ricer. Set aside.
6. In a food processor or blender, pour in the remaining soup mixture. Puree until smooth. Approximately 2 minutes. Return soup to a clean pot.
7. Return the riced potatoes to the pureed soup mixture. Whisk in the heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat soup over medium heat until it's temperature ready to serve. Note: If the soup is too thick for your liking, add a little more chicken stock.
8. Ladle soup into bowls. Finish with a drizzle of good quality olive oil and chopped chives.
9. Refrigerate any leftover soup. It will be good several days.

(1) Could use Russet instead of Yukon Gold Potatoes in this soup. (2) If the texture of the soup is too thick for your taste, add a little more chicken stock until it reaches your desired texture. (3) Paired with a salad, you have a perfect lunch and/or light dinner. (4) If you don't have a ricer, process the soup mixture in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth. The texture of a blender finished soup may have a slightly gluey consistency.

Gray winter morning at Morton Arboretum (February 2018)

Cinnamon Rolls

For years I have yearned to make homemade cinnamon rolls. Tender dough swirled in cinnamon, topped with a creamy, gooey, slightly tangy cream cheese icing makes them comfort food irresistible. Convincing myself they were cumbersome and complicated to make, I put them on the list of 'maybe someday when I am ready'. Over the past couple of months the universe seemed to be sending me reminders of the promise I had made. Photos of drool worthy cinnamon rolls were popping up in my Instagram feed and recipes for them were in at least three of the last cookbooks I had recently purchased. It was becoming more and more difficult to ignore the 'signs' more than subtly suggesting time had come for me to stop using 'maybe' as an excuse for not keeping a promise. When looking in the mirror, even my alter ego was telling me to stop playing the 'maybe' game. Either put the cinnamon rolls on the 'will definitely make' or 'will definitely not make' list. But don't let them stay in recipe limbo or turn into a cinnamon roll tease. 

Someday finally came this week. And you know what I discovered? I was wrong about believing Cinnamon Rolls were cumbersome and complicated to make. Don't get me wrong, they aren't easy, but they aren't exactly rocket science difficult either. All it it took was making them to realize my thoughts and perceptions about them were flawed. Denying myself as well as my friends and family the pleasure of enjoying a sweet, warm out of the oven, sinfully delicious, homemade Cinnamon Roll seemed to be for naught. But I am not going to whine about all the years of going without cinnamon roll bliss. Delirium has a way of making you see things differently. Trust me when I say these cinnamon rolls will have your head spinning and heart racing. And that's just from taking in their intoxicating aroma while they are baking.

I can't even begin to tell you how many cinnamon roll recipes I have looked at over the years. Too many. Up until I recently discovered the sweet dough recipe shared by Sarah Kieffer in her cookbook "The Vanilla Bean Baking Book", did my dough-making fears lessen. I would be lying if I didn't say I have always been a little intimidated working with yeast based doughs. They are one of those things I feel are a little outside of my baking comfort zone. However, this dough made me feel differently. Not only does it come together relatively quickly, it can (and probably should) be refrigerated overnight. Which means you don't have to get up at one o'clock in the morning if you want to serve fresh, hot out of the oven Cinnamon Rolls for a late morning breakfast or brunch. But more on the essentially no-knead dough making process later.

I had a good feeling about these Cinnamon Rolls even before they went into the oven. 

From the ingredients used to the assembly process, there are a number of variations to all of the cinnamon roll dough recipes out there. This one uses instant dry yeast (not rapid rise), honey (instead of sugar), eggs, whole milk, unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, and kosher salt. 

The dough is literally made in less than fifteen minutes. Which includes the time you need to assemble all of your ingredients. Once made it rests for a total of two hours before being refrigerated overnight. Over the course of the two hours of rising time, the dough is gently pulled up and rolled over itself every thirty (30) minutes. And that's it! Note: The dough could be used right away (after the initial 2 hour rise) if necessary, however, it is much easier to work with after it has been refrigerated overnight.

Whenever I make a batter or a dough for the first time, I put it through the 'taste test'. I take a bite of the raw dough. If it doesn't taste good, I know the final product won't either. But if it tastes good, even great, I know it will be even better when baked. This dough passed the taste test with flying colors. 

On a lightly floured surface it rolled out beautifully. 

Another one of the variations in the Cinnamon Roll recipes I had found was the filling. Some called for melted butter, some for room temperature butter; the amount of cinnamon ranged from a couple of teaspoons to two full tablespoons; and some used additional spices (e.g., nutmeg, cardamom). I knew I wanted these Cinnamon Rolls to have a strong, bold cinnamon flavor. One tablespoon of cinnamon didn't seem like enough and two tablespoons almost seemed to be too much. But rather than compromise, I decided to take a leap of faith and use two full tablespoons of cinnamon along with a 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg. It would now be hard to settle for a cinnamon roll made with one tablespoon of cinnamon after tasting these.

Remember how I told you that you didn't to get up one in the morning to have them ready for a late morning breakfast or brunch? Well that's still true. But after removing the dough from the refrigerator, you are about 3 and a half hours away from serving them. But it's not a labor intensive 3 and a half hours.

After rolling out the dough, slathering on the cinnamon sugar filling, cutting into 12 even pieces, and placing on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, the rolls are lightly covered with plastic wrap for a second rise. This time it's only ninety minutes and you don't have to do anything.

In a preheated 350 degree (F) oven, the cinnamon rolls bake for 27-32 minutes or until the rolls are golden in color. 

Once out of the oven, the cinnamon rolls rest for only five minutes before the icing is lathered on. 

Like the recipes for the dough and the filling, there were also a number of variations for the icing. Some called for using only cream cheese, some called for using both butter and cream cheese. I decided to go with the 'more is better' and went with the butter/cream cheese option. 

If there was one thing I would change about the icing it would be making more of it. Either increasing the recipe by half or maybe even doubling it. 

One bite of these Cinnamon Rolls and I was in heaven. The dough was moist and sweet, the cinnamon flavor was just right, and the icing complimented the roll perfectly. You need to make them. The return on the investment of your time will be worth the risk of taking on your dough making, cinnamon roll making fears.

"If we wait until we are ready, we will be waiting for the rest of our lives." If I had waited until I was ready to make these Cinnamon Rolls, more than likely I would have never made them. Worse yet, I would have never experienced the thrill of making of them. Sure, the taste of them was beyond amazing, exceeding all of my expectations. But the process of making Cinnamon Rolls, well, words can't fully explain what that felt like.

Recipe
Cinnamon Rolls (Blended and adapted Cinnamon Rolls recipes from the cookbooks "The Vanilla Bean Baking Book" and "Bravetart: Iconic American Desserts")
Makes 12 

Ingredients
Dough
4 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup whole milk, warm (110-110 degrees F)
1/4 cup honey
4 cups (512 g) all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
10 Tablespoons (142 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1 inch pieces

Cinnamon Filling
1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons, 113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (172 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Icing
1/2 cup (8 Tablespoons, 113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (113 g) confectionary sugar, sifted

Directions
Dough
1. Grease a large bowl with butter.
2. In a large measuring cup. combine the honey, eggs, and milk. Stir just until blended. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the flour, yeast and salt. Stir on low speed to combine.
4. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Mix on low speed just to combine.
5. With the mixer on low, add the butter, one piece at a time.
6. When all the butter has been added, increase the speed to medium and beat the butter into the dough until all the little butter pieces have been incorporated (approximately one minute).
7. Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl. Note: The dough will be slightly sticky. You will need a spatula to scrape the dough into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, place in a warm place and let rise for 30 minutes.
8. Place your fingers or a spatula underneath the dough and gently pull the dough up and fold it over itself. Turn the bowl, repeat and fold again. Continue 6-8 more times, until all the dough has been folded over itself. Re-cover the bowl with plastic and let rise for 30 minutes.
9. Repeat this series of folding 3 more times, for a rise time of 2 hours and a total of 4 foldings. 
10. Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 72 hours.

Cinnamon Filling
1. In a medium bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
2. Using a hand mixer, beat on medium speed until creamy. Set aside.

Icing

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and well blended (approximately 2-3 minutes).
2. Add the confectionary sugar and kosher salt. Beat until smooth, fluffy, and creamy. Transfer to either a small bowl or pastry bag. Set aside. Note: Recommend making the icing while the cinnamon rolls are baking. 

Assembly
1. Line a 9"x12" baking pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides of the pan with butter. Set aside.
2. Remove the dough from the bowl, shape into a ball, set on a lightly floured surface, lightly top with flour, cover with a light weight towel and let it come to room temperature. Approximately 60-90 minutes.
3. Roll the dough out to a 16"x12" rectangle. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough. 
4. Starting at the long side, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Pinch the seam gently to seal it and positing the dough seam side down.
5. Using scissors or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Transfer the pieces to the prepared pan. Note: Cut off the uneven edges of the rolled dough before cutting them into 12 pieces.
6. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap, set in a warm place and let the dough rise until doubled (approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours). Note: My rising time was 1 1/2 hours.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
8. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the cinnamon rolls for 27-32 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through until the rolls are golden in color. Note: My baking time was 32 minutes.
9. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let sit for no more than 5 minutes. Note: If you like your cinnamon rolls to have more of a crispy crunch to them, wait at least 15 minutes before spreading on the icing. However, would recommend spreading it on while still warm to create the softest, gooey-est cinnamon rolls.
10. Using an offset spatula or knife, spread the icing over each of the cinnamon rolls.
11. Serve immediately. 

Notes: (1) If like your Cinnamon Rolls slathered with more frosting, double the icing recipe. You won't be sorry. (2) The dough and icing recipes were adapted from "The Vanilla Bean Baking Book" and the cinnamon filling recipe was adapted from "Bravetart: Iconic American Desserts". (3) I used a 128 g per cup ratio when measuring the all-purpose flour. The original recipe called for a 142 g per cup ratio. (4) Instant dry yeast comes in granular form. Do not substitute rapid rise yeast for it. (5) If by any chance you have any left, cover them tightly and reheat for about 10 seconds in the microwave. The icing will melt a bit, but they will be warm bites of pure gooey deliciousness.

Images from the Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic, CT (November 2017)