jk (06/07/82)
This is a recipe from the one of my regular cookbooks (Betty Crocker, I
think), that I adapted (simplified) to cook in my crock pot so we
can enjoy it on weekdays, even when we're not home to "watch the pot".
I'll give the "real" recipe first, so you can make it on a day when
you've got more time, and then tell you how I "crock" it.
New England Pot Roast
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 T plus 2 t salt (of course, to your taste)
1 1/4 t. black pepper (fresh ground, if you can)
4 pound boneless beef chuck roast (other roast can be used,
but we like this)
2 T. shortening
1 jar (5 oz.) horseradish
1 cup water
8 small potatoes, pared and halved
8 medium carrots, halved crosswise and lengthwise
8 small onions
1/2 t. salt
Stir together flour, 1 T. plus 2 t. salt, and the pepper.
Rub mixture on the meat thoroughly. Melt shortening in large
skillet or Dutch oven (I use a 5 qt. Corning dish); brown
meat over medium heat, about 15 min.
Reduce heat; spread horseradish on both sides of meat. Add water;
cover tightly and simmer on top of range or in 325 degree oven
4 hours or until meat is tender. I usually cover the dish with
aluminum foil and then put the galss lid on to get a good seal.
About 1 hour before end of cooking time, add vegetables and
1/2 t. salt.
There is also a gravy recipe, which is fairly standard, but you may have
to cut the juices with more water/flour because they are potent.
Surprisingly, it is not really HOT, but does have the flavor of
the horseradish. The vegetables are very tasty, as they usually are
when cooked with the meat like this.
I have done this in a crock pot (in fact, there's one cooking at this
very minute), but I've never had good luck with vegies in the crock pot,
so I leave them out. Also, browning takes too long in the morning,
so I don't do that either. So, basically, for the crock pot,
I just trim as much fat as I can off the meat, use a lot of freshly
ground black pepper, some salt, and cover the raw meat with some
horseradish (maybe only 1/2 jar), and let it cook on low all day
(I've left it cooking as long as 11 hours).
Make your gravy according to crock pot instructions, cook
noodles or potatoes and carrots on the side, and you've got a great
meal that requires very little work (which is why we all got our
crock pots for weekday cooking, right?).
I hope you enjoy this. Maybe this will encourage other pot roast
afficionados to share their recipes with us. I have another pot
roast recipe that is my Mom's, and is also doable in the crock
pot. I'll put that one up soon too - it uses tomato sauce and is
first rate!
Joan Keegan (eiss!jk)jcwinterton (06/10/82)
This is a follow up on the veggie problem. Since most vegetables cook very quickly, try leaving most of them out until the very end (about the last 45 minutes at most). However, you will need a bouquet garni (which can be tied up with string and then removed). Tie a carrot, a stalk of celery, some fresh parsley and an onion stuck over with a couple or more of whole cloves in a cheese cloth bag and put in at start. Take out when putting in fresh vegetables. This allows vegetable bouquet necessary in the stew, but removes the yukky residue of out-cooked stuff. Enjoy, John Winterton.