Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Ina Garten's Company Pot Roast

I think my daddy wants to kiss the member of Barefoot Bloggers who picked the 2nd recipe for November, Ina's Company Pot Roast. You can find the recipe here.

My daddy looooooves him da pot roast. He loves him da gravy even more...and Mama doesn't make gravy anymore. Because, let's face it, gravy for 2 just isn't gonna happen. If you're going to trouble with gravy, there'd better be a crowd in your kitchen.

When I first read that Company Pot Roast was on the agenda for November, I knew exactly who to invite for dinner. Hint: German with chocolate brown peepers. Loves the Windy City. The Original "Wallet Man."

The girls and I came down with colds early in the week, which worried me. I won't let Mama come over if we have colds; a bad cold can land Miss Mama-One-Lung in the hospital faster than you can say "achoo."

But I also worried about daddy; every time I called the house, Mama said, "Your father is so excited about this weekend and his pot roast dinner!" I hated to disappoint him; after all, the Original Wallet Man put up with a lot of mischief and handouts raising my sister and me. A man willing to endure that kind of hardship deserves his roast.



I never much liked pot roast dinner, which we had at least once a month when I was a kid (because daddy loved it so). Pot roast is just kinda stringy and...I dunno...a vehicle for gravy? And I loathed cooked carrots, which always rode shotgun with pot roast at our house.

I actually cooked the roast a day ahead, because pot roast, like any braised dish, improves if made in advance. I also like to make braised dishes ahead because, after refrigeration, it's easy to remove any and all fat from the sauce...bonus for the backside!!

I only deviated from Ina's recipe in one area; instead of pureeing half of the sauce mixture as instructed, I pureed the whole shebang. I don't *do* chunky gravy.

My guys were watching football while Mama and I puttered in the kitchen (and yes I did wipe down the entire house with Clorox before she came), and when I called daddy into the kitchen to do his duty as "Official Tester of the Gravy," he practically wagged his tail. He deemed it perfect. And I agreed. That is some tasty dunkin' sauce, people!

The roast was incredibly tender and un-stringy. Probably the moist-est (okay, that word is kinda gross, isn't it? Moist.) roast I've ever eaten. And I jettisoned the cooked carrots, thankfully. I ate a small portion, pigged out on potatoes (Carb Queen Reigns Again) and happily packed up the leftovers for transport. Because we know who this meal really was for.



ps: Why no picture, you ask? Because pot roast, while delicious, is not beautiful to behold. It looks like turd on a plate with vomit on it. Hungry now?

19 comments:

  1. Loved this post!! Sending hugs your way and wishing you and your family a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ah, taking a break from pie-making to read this and laughing out loud in my kitchen! I happen to love pot roast (even though I rarely eat red meat, go figure). I also love Ina's recipes - haven't actually found one I don't like - might have to undertake this now that winter's coming up in New England. Your description of post-roast-optics is spot-on and hysterical! Happy Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your dad is adorable! What fun to have them living close enough to pop over for a dinner like this.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have a friend who can be rendered totally ooked out if you sidle up to her and whisper, "moist." Also, if you touch your own eyeball in front of her, but that's less related to this post.

    ReplyDelete
  5. You are very...how should I say...passionate about your food? I don't mind steamed carrots, but not cooked with pot roast, potatoes either for that matter. I didn't mind the meat it was better than some of the things we had, like New England Boiled Dinner, again cooking the potatoes and carrots to death, then adding cabage, and yuck, corned beef! I was a picky eater as a child!

    It was so nice for your dad!

    Oh, and nice excuse for not having a photo!:)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I thought pot roast grossed me out before (not a meat eater, this one), but now...oh, yum!

    Love the story and the pictures. Have a wonderful Beige Food Day!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hahaha, that last sentence made me laugh hard. And you are right. That's exactly how "pretty" pot roast looks like =)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yes, I am still hungry! Gravy. Pot roast. Approved by you? I may need to give it a try one day. Gravy. Hmmm. I am glad your dad got to have himself some roast! :-)

    Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love pot roast. I make it in the crock pot and it's so good.

    My husband is weird and doesn't like pot roast.

    ReplyDelete
  10. You are one funny girl with your description of the pot roast picture. I needed a chuckle today! Great idea to remove the fat after refrigeration. Smart!

    Hope you have a beyond beige Thanksgiving! :D

    ReplyDelete
  11. ha ha! You are write about the picture...ah your dad - how sweet - I'm glad he enjoyed it and you got to tailor it to your tastes too - do you still not like cooked carrots? xxx

    ReplyDelete
  12. Another comment about the picture or lack there of. I'll bet I have 10 pictures of pot roast on my flash drive that I havn't posted, I never could come up with that eloquent of a description though.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Pops looks like he's getting his hair professionally poufed in the first pic, and then looks like he met up with the unprofessional leaf blower in the second pic! DA BEARZ! DITKA!
    jc

    ReplyDelete
  14. How sweet!!! I'll have to try it. Happy Fanksgiven! (As Matthew pronounces it!)

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm with your Dad. I loves me a good pot roast. I made the spice cake..... keep your fingers crossed.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Such a fun family you have! Love your description of your dad practically 'wagging his tail' to come test the gravy. Precious post!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I swear anything made in the crockpot comes out tasting fantastic! I need to try that recipe!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Yet again you have managed to weave a family story and a food story. I love it. What else do I love? "Original Wallet Man," "bonus for the backside," and "Carb Queen." Oh, and I'd prefer to see family pics to pot roast pics any day! (But now you have me worried that I perhaps shouldn't have posted the photo I posted today!)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Great post!
    But for me to try the recipe would mean I would have to kick my crock pot to the curve, and I'm just too lazy to do that.

    ReplyDelete