Today I'm checking off one thing on my Fall To Do LIst, we're having pot roast for dinner tonight, yahoo!  Pot roast is one of those things that can be made big for a crowd, or little for one.  Tonight there's just the two of us, we'll have the roast with gravy and smashed potatoes.



No, we're not having jarred gravy.  Gravy is E.A.S.Y., but first the roast.  I mean first a couple of organizing tips:

• It's all about convenience.  Beef base (look at the ingredient list, is beef first?  Buy it.  Not first?  Keep looking.) can be mixed up in any amount and keeps great in the fridge.
• Tomato paste in a tube.  That's right people!  I have an open tube in the fridge, keeps great, and a brand new one in the pantry.  I don't ever want to be without.
• Crock pot is the way to go, I have two and absolutely no regrets.
• Kosher salt is preferred in my kitchen because I think it tastes better.  I keep it in a totally cute custard cup and either grab it with my fingers or dig in with a measuring spoon.  It lives right next to the stove.
• Make a lot, the leftovers freeze great.

 
All right then, here we go:


Roast

Your choice of beef cut in a size that accommodates your needs.  We really like cross cut chuck roast.
1 C hot water
1 tsp. beef base
1 Tbls. tomato paste
1 medium onion, thickly sliced

In your crock pot whisk together water, beef base and tomato paste.  Spread onion in the crock pot.  Salt and pepper your roast to taste, put in the crock pot on top of the onions.  Cook on low 6-8 hours, or high 4-5 hours.  When your roast is done remove from the crock pot and tent with tinfoil on your serving platter.

Onion Gravy

Dump the onions and juice from the crock pot into one of these:



(This is a brand new gravy separator/measuring cup/strainer - the top is the strainer.  It seemed like a super cool thing, but I had to be careful pouring into my saucepan, it tended to spill.  A lot.)

If you don't have one of these you can remove the onions with a slotted spoon and dump the juice in a measuring cup.

For every 1 cup of liquid you will need:

1 Tbls butter
1 Tbls flour

If you get an uneven amount of juice, just add milk to get the amount of liquid you want.  Or wine, wine would be good.  Or the cooking water from potatoes.  Or any combination of the three.  Are you seeing possibilities here?  Just go ahead and pour your additional liquid into your measure with the roast drippings.

Melt butter in a saucepan on the stove.  When the butter is foaming whisk in the flour.  You've made roux!  Let the roux cook for a least a minute, but you can cook it longer and get the roux nice and brown.  Add your measured liquid and whisk.  Let the gravy cook for a while on medium high heat, whisking occasionally.  When it starts to boil keep a close eye on it, it's done after it's boiled for a minute. 

TIP:  If your gravy looks a little thin, just boil it down a bit until you get to the desired consistency. 

Roughly chop the onions you cooked in the crock pot, add to the gravy.  Serve in a gravy boat, because that is really cool.

Smashed Potatoes

We were served potatoes like this at the Purple Onion in St. Paul, MN.  I thought it was a smashing idea!

1 -  2 potatoes for each person
4 - 8 mini carrots for each person or
1 handful frozen vegetable for each person
2-6 Tbls butter, your preference
1/4 - 1/3 C  milk

Scrub and quarter the potatoes.  If you are using the carrots, cut each in thirds.  Put potatoes and carrots in a decently sized saucepan, cover with water.  Salt liberally, if you like.  Cover the pan and heat on high until the water starts to boil.  Reduce heat to medium and start checking with a fork for doneness after 10 minutes.  Heat milk in the microwave about 30 seconds.  You can use any kind of milk, even cream.  When potatoes are done drain and put back on heat for about a minute so excess moisture can cook off.  If you are using frozen vegetables heat them to done in the microwave.

Take potatoes off the heat and mash lightly with a good old fashioned potato masher, only give this a minute or two, you want the potatoes chunky. 


Mix in butter and milk.  Go easy on the milk, they can get soupy fast.  Mix in cooked vegetables, if using.

Voila!  Slice up your roast and you are going to be a star!



This roast didn't take well to a knife, it fell apart.  Just the way I LOVE it. 

Number of minutes it took to get this on the table - 30.  No joke.