Jind
Grrrr!!! (I'm a bear)
- Mar 7, 2009
- 2,542
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Had my wife's uncle over for dinner last night - he's an old timer from up in the wild woods of Maine. He's 84 years old, but still drives down from Maine when he's feeling like company so he called us yesterday morning and said he would be down by dinner time so off to the store I went.
I figured I'd make a nice pot roast for him as he is a real meat an potatoes type guy.
I bought a 4 lb. Chuck Roast, coated it is seasoned flour (pepper, salt, flour) and set that aside while I broke out my dutch oven and browned a few strips of bacon in the bottom to get a little drippings and grease to brown the roast in. I removed the bacon and crumbled it for later, I then browned the roast in the bacon drippings until all sides were equally browned - removed the roast and set it aside. I then added 2 medium chopped yellow onions to the bacon drippings and caramelized them till soft and translucent after which I added a chopped garlic clove. I then added 2 cups of good beef stock, 1 1/2 cups of Merlot (or any other full bodied red wine), 4- 5 sprigs of Thyme, and a sprig of Rosemary and the crumbled bacon. I then placed the roast in the bottom of the dutch oven and added 1 pound of rough cut carrots (1 1/2 inch pieces) and placed it covered in a 350 degree oven and cooked for 2 - 3 hours. After the initial cooking time I added 2 pounds of 1-2 inch cubed Russet Potatoes to the dutch oven and cooked for an additional 35 - 45 minutes until the meat was falling apart and the vegetables were fork tender.
We served it with the remaining Merlot and some dinner rolls and it was extremely yummy indeed. For dessert, my wife had gotten her uncle his favorite - a local bakery makes these great whoopie pies (I think they are a very New England thing - it's whipped cream between two chocolate cakes all in a sort of fist sized treat) we served and some coffee to go with them.
It was nice seeing him as he's pretty convinced his time is coming and we will miss him dearly when he is gone. But it's always nice to spend and evening with good company, good food, and good drink.
I figured I'd make a nice pot roast for him as he is a real meat an potatoes type guy.
I bought a 4 lb. Chuck Roast, coated it is seasoned flour (pepper, salt, flour) and set that aside while I broke out my dutch oven and browned a few strips of bacon in the bottom to get a little drippings and grease to brown the roast in. I removed the bacon and crumbled it for later, I then browned the roast in the bacon drippings until all sides were equally browned - removed the roast and set it aside. I then added 2 medium chopped yellow onions to the bacon drippings and caramelized them till soft and translucent after which I added a chopped garlic clove. I then added 2 cups of good beef stock, 1 1/2 cups of Merlot (or any other full bodied red wine), 4- 5 sprigs of Thyme, and a sprig of Rosemary and the crumbled bacon. I then placed the roast in the bottom of the dutch oven and added 1 pound of rough cut carrots (1 1/2 inch pieces) and placed it covered in a 350 degree oven and cooked for 2 - 3 hours. After the initial cooking time I added 2 pounds of 1-2 inch cubed Russet Potatoes to the dutch oven and cooked for an additional 35 - 45 minutes until the meat was falling apart and the vegetables were fork tender.
We served it with the remaining Merlot and some dinner rolls and it was extremely yummy indeed. For dessert, my wife had gotten her uncle his favorite - a local bakery makes these great whoopie pies (I think they are a very New England thing - it's whipped cream between two chocolate cakes all in a sort of fist sized treat) we served and some coffee to go with them.
It was nice seeing him as he's pretty convinced his time is coming and we will miss him dearly when he is gone. But it's always nice to spend and evening with good company, good food, and good drink.