Food Fridays: Slow-cooker pot roast

Remember that pot roast I mentioned a while back? Well, I never took pics of it the first time around, so I made it again last weekend for the sole purpose of shooting it.

"Pot roast again?" Matt whined. "We had this last weekend. Can't you be a little creative in the kitchen?" And I hung my head in shame.

Just kidding. He didn't say anything, as we were both too busy inhaling this food like we hadn't eaten in months. But when it was gone, he sat back and sighed and somehow, I just knew that I could serve up this meal every single Sunday and he wouldn't complain. Hm. Maybe I'll do that...I'm not kidding, this dish really is that good.

I found the original recipe on Martha Stewart's website (I know, I know) and adapted it a little because I can't just make a recipe as directed.


Excuse me while I clean the puddle of drool off my keyboard.

Ingredients (enough for 2 people):
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- a handful of baby carrots—I would say about 15-20
- half of a large yellow onion, cut into large chunks
- 8-10 small red potatoes, quartered
- 1 beef chuck roast, about 1 and a half to 2 pounds
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper

In your slow-cooker/crock pot/whatever you wanna call it, mix the cornstarch with 2 tbsp cold water until smooth. I found it helps to tilt the slow-cooker a bit, so everything pools in the corner and mixes easier. Add the carrots and pieces of onion, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. On top of that layer, add the potato chunks and season with salt and pepper.

Season the chuck roast with salt (use more than you think you'll need, the potatoes tend to soak up excess salt like a sponge) and pepper on both sides. Martha recommends trimming off the excess fat first, but I like to take the Paula Deen approach and leave the fat on because everyone knows that fat is where all the best flavor comes from. Place on top of the potatoes. Then drizzle the whole beautiful thing with the Worcestershire sauce.

Turn the slow-cooker on high and cook for 5-6 hours (my cooker usually gets it done in about 5) or on low for about 10 hours. You'll know it's done when your nose is screaming at you to just go sniff around in the kitchen a bit, and the meat itself falls apart easily with a fork. Martha suggests cutting the roast into thin slices against the grain, but what does she know, Matt and I just split the hunk of meat in half and go at it like cavemen. So...delicious...

(Side note: You can also strain the juices from the bottom of the slow-cooker through a fine-mesh sieve and use it as a dipping sauce or whatever, but I always forget to do this because I'm so distracted by the meat and potatoes part of the dish. So do what you will with that.)

My other favorite thing about this dish? (Besides its mouth-watering incredibleness, of course.) How easy it is to make. It's literally about 10 minutes of prep time, throw it all in the slow-cooker, and pull it all out a few hours later. The hardest part is just waiting for the damn thing to be done!

Food Fridays: Fast and Easy Pickles

First, a disclaimer on this recipe: I still haven't quite perfected it. I found it in a copy of Everyday Food, and the first time I made it, the pickles were too sweet for my taste. I like 'em garlicky and dilly. So this time, I cut the sugar, but forgot to add the garlic, so they're still not quite where I'd like them to be. But if you like slightly sweet dill pickles, you'll love this recipe!



You will need:
- 1-2 regular sized cucumbers
- coarse salt (I use kosher, but I guess sea salt would work too)
- 3 cups white vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups sugar (I used 1 cup last time I made this)
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 2 to 4 small red chiles (optional; I don't use 'em)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 1/2 cups fresh dill, stems removed

Slice the cukes into thin discs; I used my food processor with the slicing attachment because I can't get enough of the thing, but a mandolin or even a knife will work just fine. Lay a paper tower over a baking sheet, and cover it in one layer of cucumber slices. Sprinkle liberally with coarse salt, then lay another paper towel over top. If you still have slices left, just spread them out over the top paper towel, until all the cukes have been salted and covered. Let stand for about 15 minutes, then pat dry.

Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, sugar, 2 more teaspoons of coarse salt, the mustard seed, the celery seed, the chiles and the turmeric in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve all of the sugar and salt. WARNING: This process is kind of stinky. I mean, light-a-candle-and-open-a-window stinky. It doesn't bother me anymore, but the first time, I was kind of taken aback.

While the mixture is boiling, arrange the dill and the cucumber slices in a jar or jars. I use a tall Tupperware-style plastic container and it works just fine. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the cukes, making sure to cover them completely. Seal the lid tightly and refrigerate until cool, about 2 hours. The recipe says they keep for a week, but honestly, I picked at the last batch before two weeks before I finally decided I probably wouldn't eat them all and tossed the rest.

So, if you make this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, shoot me an email, shout at me on Twitter or comment on my Facebook page. I wanna know how you tweaked this recipe, if you did, and whether you liked it!