I think I'm in the minority of home cooks who doesn't fully appreciate the virtues of crockpot cooking-- until now. Seriously, I never really found crockpot recipes to be the wonderful time savers that so many people swear that they are. I don't have time to prep my dinner at 5:00am, when I'm struggling to get ready for work. When I was first learning to cook, in my early twenties, I used to grab a can of condensed soup, some raw chicken and I'd plug in that Harvest Gold Round crock pot and call it a day. Did I just date myself? I don't cook that way any longer. I like to sear my meats before braising. So, my slow cooker lived in my garage pantry most of the time, because I wasn't going to prep food in the morning, on a work day.
I'm a huge fan of America's Test Kitchen. I pondered, for a long while, if I really wanted to buy their book "Slow Cooker Revolution". I finally did, and I have to say that there are two particular pros to this book. For one, the photos are in color, and they are mouth watering. I also like that the recipes don't use canned soups or mixes. I bookmarked quite a few recipes, vowing that I would see if I could learn to appreciate coming from work, to the aroma of dinner being ready. I realized that I should plan my recipe that night before, and maybe I'd like this method of cooking.
This weekend, I had thawed a frozen 3 pound package of pork ribs that we bought after the Labor Day weekend. NOTE: 2 packs of 1-1/2 pound of baby back ribs is recommended. However, I managed to maneuver my larger rack with a little bit of finesse. Last night, I decided to prepare the ribs with a brown sugar rub. My game plan, was to keep the ribs refrigerated and then I'd start the slow cooker as I left for work at 6:15am.
America's Test Kitchen's recipe for the rubs is 3 Tablespoons sweet paprika, 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, salt & pepper. However, I had an unopened package of Tyler Florence's Brown Sugar Pork Rub that was given to me at last year's Foodbuzz Blogger Festival. I liked the ingredients, and they were close to ATK's recipe.
Generally, I make my own barbecue sauce. My husband was born and raised in Kansas City, MO. He really likes this BBQ sauce that I buy at Trader Joe's. I like it, too, and there aren't any scary ingredients. Really, that's all that is needed to make these ribs. I like that my slow cooker has a removable ceramic insert.
I buy Reynold's crockpot liners, and they are one of the best inventions. Cleanup really is a snap. Look in the section where you buy plastic wrap and foil. If you see them, buy them! So, I set the ribs into my slow cooker, standing, along the perimeter with the wide end down and he meatier side facing the slow-cooker insert wall. I covered it with the lid, put it in the fridge and went to bed.
Right before work, I poured about 1-1/2 cups of the barbecue sauce all over the ribs and turned it on low. I had a crazy busy day at work, and came home feeling really tired-- 10 hours later. The ribs smelled good, and I could tell that they were really tender. I prepared a baking sheet with foil, set a baking rack on top and sprayed it with olive oil spray. Removing the ribs wasn't easy, I'll tell you.
I managed to get them on the rack, but a few pieces broke off. I tented the ribs with foil and then turned on the broiler, and set the oven rack to about 10" below the broiler unit. In the meantime...
I skimmed as much fat off as I could, from the braising liquid, with a large and wide spoon. Then, I strained the braising liquid into a pot. I then set the liquid to a high simmer, for about 10 minutes, until it reduced and got a little thicker.
The recipe said to first set the ribs, meat side down, and then brush sauce evenly over the ribs. After my difficulty in setting the super tender ribs onto the rack, I wasn't going there. I left the ribs meat side up and then put the whole rack under the broiler... every 2-3 minutes, I'd brush more sauce on the ribs until they looked sticky and crunchy.
I let the ribs rest for a few minutes.
My husband and son were waiting in the wings, as I cut the rubs. They were very tender.
My son and husband are crazy about ribs. I'm not kidding. Me? Not so much. I'll eat one, maybe two. My son dug in, first. My husband followed next.
VERDICT: My son said these were the best ribs ever! My husband was slower to respond. Undoubtedly, he was comparing them to the ribs he's learned to grill well. I do agree that the ribs were very tender. His verdict is that they are very tender, and almost smoky. I liked that there was a slight stickiness to the outside of the ribs, and a slightly charred taste from the broiler. There is nothing like slow-cooked ribs, over wood chips and a Weber grill. However, I will say that after the rough day that I had at work today-- I'm beginning to see how slow cookers can be my new best kitchen helper. I give America's Test Kitchen kudos, for this recipe. Broiling the ribs is key. Otherwise, these would just be braised meat, and not barbecue.
I'm actually posting this in "real time" folks. After dinner, I simply removed the crock pot liner and tossed it away. Clean up was easy for me- which my son and husband graciously did for me.
I've made many pot roasts in my life. I've made them in my slow cooker, pressure cooker and in the oven. I've been reading The Pioneer Woman's food blog for three years. I even bought her cookbook, when it first came out-- and I've posted many of her recipes. Every so often, Ree will post something with salad greens... or vegetables....or soups. She's not always about comfort food, you know! However, when I recorded an episode of PW's new Food Network show, and I watched Ree make her Perfect Pot Roast... well, my mind was set on making it. However, I didn't exactly follow Ree's recipe. I will tell you, in advance, that this is the best pot roast that I've made so far!
Behold, a nicely marbled piece of 5 pound chuck roast... (season with salt & pepper)
Three yellow onions and whole carrots...
A Dutch oven, in my opinion, is my favorite way to braise. I liked Ree's idea of cutting the onion in half, instead of chunks. With a little olive oil, just give them a nice brown, remove and set aside.
Add a little more olive oil, and toss in the carrots (cut in really large chunks). Give those a nice sear, and here's my own touch-- in the last 30 seconds, add two whole cloves of garlic. Set those veggies aside...
Add some more oil. and keep that Dutch Oven hot!
Now, sear the meat. Hear that sizzle!
...and give that meat a beautiful sear on both sides, and all around.
Remove the meat.
I'm lucky enough to have an herb garden, where I could cut three sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme. We're about to build some flavor for the braising liquid.
Ree tosses her herbs into the broth. I wanted to tie them, so I could easily remove them. (I don't particularly care for bits of rosemary floating around in my gravy). I have kitchen twine, but I save the rubber bands from when I buy celery. I think they're easy to use, and then I just toss them.
I decided to deglaze all that beautiful brown bits with some red wine-- oh, about 3/4 cup.
I added about 3 cups of beef stock. I had to add something that Ree did not...
Tomato paste. I love that richness and depth of flavor and color it adds to sauces and braising liquids.
TIP: At a restaurant supply store, I buy a package of those small plastic containers that you find in take-out foods. I freeze 1-2 Tbsp. portions of tomato paste, once I open a can and only use a portion of it. I also freeze leftover chipotle peppers and pesto sauce.
With a sharp knife, I carefully cut about 1 Tbsp. of frozen tomato paste...
...then, tossed it into the braising liquid.
Please pardon the out of focus Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. Again, this was another layer of flavor that I added to Ree's original recipe. Trust me, this adds a lot of flavor! Give it a taste... adjust the seasonings with more salt and pepper, if you feel it needs it.
Add the meat back into the pot. Toss in the two garlic cloves.
Set the tied herbs into the liquid. Tuck those beautifully caramelized carrots and onions along the sides... nice, and cozy.
NOTE: In reading the many comments people left about pot roast, some people said that the carrots should only be added at the end, lest they become mushy. I set aside half of the carrots, to test that theory. I'll let you know.
Add enough beef stock so that the liquid comes up to about halfway of the meat. Put the lid on, and put into an oven, preheated to 275F. Relax, and let this cook low and slow for 2-3 hours.
Of course, you could put all of this into a slow cooker. On a lazy Sunday, I'm content to use a Dutch Oven. It's just my preference.
So, it's been about 3 hours, and I have to tell you-- the pot roast smells so good! I decided to add the remaining carrots and let this go for another 45 minutes.
Pot roast. From scratch. No onion soup mix. This is home cookin'!
Toss away the herbs. They've done their job well.
The meat is very, very tender. NOTE: I recently watch Anne Burrell (Food Network/Secrets of a Restaurant Chef) make a pot roast, and she ties it so that slicing the meat is much easier. In the future, I'm definitely going to do this.
Overall, the meat was easy to slice. I debated thickening the braising liquid into a thick gravy. But, I decided not to. Truth be told, I was hungry!
I made these Creamy Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes, earlier in the day. My secret to terrific mashed potatoes is to use a food mill, and I don't peel the potatoes. I stir in a combo of cream cheese and butter, and some heavy cream. Yes, the fat gram police aren't pleased. Once in a while, I say, live it up... and these potatoes are the best you can make. I simply heated these in the last half hour that the pot roast was cooking-- right next to it. They were hot, and steamy. Serve the pot roast, and veggies and gravy right over a mound of creamy mashed potatoes. Dig in!
VERDICT: Seriously, this is the best pot roast I have ever made! Let's start with the sauce-- the red wine, tomato paste, garlic and Worcestershire sauce kicked up the flavor a lot. The meat was tender. I loved the caramelized large chunks of onion. Yummy! The carrots were not mushy. They were sweet, and I couldn't tell the difference between the carrots I cooked at the beginning vs. the end. The rosemary and thyme herbs were perfect, and I much preferred not having them in my sauce. I did not regret that I didn't make the gravy thicker with flour or cornstarch. The next day, the pot roast was even better! Sadly, there were not enough leftovers to make pot roast soup. With all due respect to The Pioneer Woman, my additions to the her recipe were an improvement. We loved this recipe, and I can hardly wait for that first California frosty cold winter night to make this again.
A printable recipe card, with my adaptions, is at the end of this post.
Is chili meant to be served with or without beans? Ah, that's an unresolved issue-- depending on where you're from and how you were raised. As a kid, my mother made Chili con Carne, because my father was Mexican. My mother never used kidney beans. Ever. She always soaked pinto beans and added them to seasoned ground beef, with lots of onion. The chili was always served with hot flour tortillas and a side bowl of salsa. Mimicking my father, I'd tear each tortilla into quarters, fold over the pointed end and fold it into a scoop to hold a mound of my chili --and eat it with great relish. To this day, I must have flour tortillas when I eat re-fried or chili beans, or something feels like it's missing. I love me some beans, and I do make a delicious pot of chili beans, if I do say so myself. Super Bowl Sunday wouldn't be complete without a pot of my chili con carne.
A year ago, I caught watched a pre-recorded show on the Barefoot Contessa. Ina's friend ("Devon") was showing how she made her award-winning Tex-Mex Chili. I forgot about these photos (which are taken with my old camera), but I do think this recipe is worth sharing.
I was intrigued, because she used brisket, and I happened to have one that was frozen in my garage freezer. Once thawed, I cut it into bite-sized pieces and made sure they were patted very dry.
I also liked that she used fresh tomatoes, bell peppers ...
and strong coffee...
I haven't used any of those ingredient in my own chili, and I've heard that coffee adds another layer of flavor to the spices. Before I made this recipe, I decided to read the review. Whoa! I was taken aback at the backlash of true Tex-Mex lovers who said that this recipe was in no way Tex-Mex! Many reviews said that a Texan would never use beans. Okay. Now, I will agree that I found it very strange that Ina's friend used basil to flavor the sauce. Really? While I love basil, I nixed that idea. Instead, I opted for my beloved cilantro (which Ina Garten strongly dislikes). As a result of my tweaks, I have renamed this recipe to be Cal-Tex Mex chili, because I'm going to use beans. Hopefully, this will give me some leeway in my tweaks and I won't get spanked by my Texan friends.
I also used my own standard seasoning blend of chili powder, oregano, garlic powder and cumin. I keep a bottle of this on hand, as my quick way of seasoning my taco meat, chili or anything I want to give a South of the Border spice. Let's begin:
Once the cut-up beef brisket was patted dry, I seasoned it with salt and pepper. I heated olive oil until right before it started to smoke and then added the meat in batches, so as not to crowd them.
Searing is one of my favorite cooking techniques. I rarely put any kind of meat into a slow-cooker or Dutch oven, unless it's been seared. I think it adds a lot more flavor to my braising liquids and it's worth the extra time. (The printable recipe I will post at the bottom is for 5 pounds of brisket. I actually used 3 pounds and cut the ingredients in half.) Once the meat has been seared in some vegetable oil, set it aside.
All those brown bits are going to give this chili a lot of flavor.
Now, I added the vegetables and I decided to add about a cup of beef broth (which wasn't in her recipe) because I wanted more braising liquid and I wanted to deglaze all of that lovely fond.
After adding a little more oil, I cooked the onion until tender (about 5 minutes). Next, I added the garlic until fragrant (about 1 minute). I added 2 Tablespoons of my Mexican Spice Blend If you like your chili to be really hot, you can add cayenne. I like my chili slightly hot, but not fire-breathing so I don't add cayenne. I felt I had enough liquid, but I love a chili that has a rich red color, and I love to taste tomato. I decided to add two tablespoons of tomato paste.
I also added 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
At this point, you could transfer this to a slow cooker. Since I was home, I let this simmer for about a couple of hours. I tasted it. It was good. Dear Texans, I'm sorry. I must have beans with my chili! Kidney beans won't do. I must have pinto beans. I keep an assortment of canned beans on hand, because there is nothing wrong with them-- especially when I don't think to soak dried beans the night before. I always rinse and drain canned beans, though, because I don't like the slimy film from canned beans.
I added two 15-ounce cans...
That's more like it! This smells delicious, but I'm going to add strong coffee. Why not?
1/2 cup strong coffee (and I drink dark roast every morning) should do it. I added the coffee after the beans, instead of before. I don't think it matters, really. No, you can't taste "coffee", but I think it made the sauce taste richer with more depth of flavor. I let this simmer for 2 1/2 hours and it was time to serve this:
The chili con carne that I make is very thick, with a rich and spicy sauce. I would call this more of a "stew", since the sauce has more liquid to it. The brisket was very tender, since I cooked it low and slow for more than two hours. You can leave out the beans, and I still think this would be delicious. Would I make this again? Yes, because anything with Mexican seasoning, a sauce with the background of tomato and bell peppers is a winning combination. Searing the meat can take up to 30 minutes, but I think it's well worth it.
I do need to make a batch of my own chili con carne. It's been far too long, and I don't have a recipe. I just grab some of this and some of that. I'll have to take the time to measure it so I can share it with you. Then, I'm ready for a Chili Throwdown with Ina's friend. Basil in chili? Really? That must be a Hampton thing. So while Ina's friend, "Devon" showed how two make her award-winning Tex-Mex Chili, I think I'd made enough tweaks to call this my own Cal-Tex Mex Chili! To see the original recipe, click here. Otherwise, a printable recipe (with my own tweaks) is at the bottom of this post.
