Newsletter # 59 – Slow cooked beef pot roast with pear cider
Winter is approaching. Outside we have had two weeks of wet weather and invariably we think about comfort food. Many of us also think about simplicity and what could be simpler than a one pot, slow cooked beef pot roast.
However, many recipes are happy to miss a couple of important steps that will maximise the flavour of many slow cooked dishes. I refer to the sealing of the meat and certain vegetables such as onion and garlic.
Another important step is to minimise the amount of liquid that you initially add. Remember that you can always add more but too much liquid leads to a watery sauce which you will have to spend more time reducing.
My recipe will hopefully make use of ingredients that you already have on hand with only the beef and cider going on your market list.
You can choose an electric slow cooker (crock pot) in which case you will need a frypan to brown the meat. I used a Dutch Oven which can be used on your stove top or in your oven and negates the use of a frypan.
Finally, this is an excellent dish to portion up and freeze.
Ingredients
Method
- Assemble your ingredients
- Pat the brisket dry with paper towel
- Sprinkle the brisket all over with salt and let it stand for 10 minutes or until the meat appears to be sweating
- Give the brisket a quick cold rinse before patting dry again
- Season the brisket with salt and cracked pepper
- Heat the oil in your Dutch oven and add the brisket ‘meat side’ down
- Cook for 5 minutes before turning and cooking for a further 5 minutes – both sides should be nicely browned
- Repeat this for the edges of the brisket until you have an even golden brown
- Remove the brisket and put on the side
- Add the onion and garlic to the Dutch oven
- Cook for 5 minutes
- Stir in the pumpkin and sweet potato and cook for 3 minutes
- Add the pear cider, beef stock, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaves
- Add the beef and any collected juices to the Dutch oven
- Slowly bring the liquid to simmering before turning the heat down to the lowest setting to continue cooking for 60 minutes with the lid off
- Add the potatoes and carrots, lid the Dutch oven and slow simmer for 2 hours
- Check the beef with a skewer – if it pulls out easily it will be done, otherwise slowly cook for a further 15 minutes
- Remove the brisket, potatoes and carrot – keep warm
- Discard bay leaves
- Reduce the liquid over medium heat till it thickens slightly to form a sauce
- Whisk the liquid to finally breakdown the sweet potato and pumpkin
- Add the peas and zucchini at this time
- Return the potatoes and carrots to the sauce and bring back to simmering
- Slice the brisket and generously ladle the sauce over the meat.
- Serve
