You Say Cold Front, I Say Pot Roast!

What's more comforting than a big pot of roast with veggies and gravy?  Yesterday a cold front hit and all I could think was "it's time for pot roast!"  This is basically my mom's pot roast that I grew up with, with the exception of the mushrooms.  I love mushrooms and will pretty much sneak them into any dish!  Here goes:



1 2-3lb chuck roast
4-6 T all-purpose flour
1t Paprika
1t dried Oregano
1T Black Pepper

Heat a large cast-iron skillet to high heat with 2-3T extra virgin olive oil.  Trim roast of any extra fat or connective tissue.  Mix flour and seasonings together in a bowl and rub all over the meat.  It's nice to have an extra helper to stir and sample the raw flour!  Add meat into skillet and cook several minutes on both sides (turning only once) to sear the meat and form a nice crust.  This will add extra flavor to the roast and the flour will help thicken the gravy.


While roast is searing, add liquids to the slow cooker:
2 C beef broth (or 1 packet concentrated beef stock w/ 2 C water...I had a coupon)
1 can Healthy Request cream of mushroom soup
1 bay leaf
Turn slow cooker on high so that liquids can start heating.  You don't want to add a hot roast to a cold soup.  And don't judge on the "well-loved" crust of my slow cooker, she and I have been though a lot together!

Now you are ready to introduce Mr. Roast to his hot tub.  Toss that guy in and cook on high for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Then, turn the cooker to low and add the veggies:

1 medium onion, chopped
2 russet potatoes (I like to "roughly" peel these)
3-4 medium to large carrots

4-6 oz white mushrooms, sliced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bunch fresh rosemary

I like to large chop the veggies so that there are big, recognizable pieces in the roast.  Cook with veggies on low for 4-5 hours or until everything is tender.  Then add 1 T cornstarch to a splash of water in a small bowl.  Stir to mix into a "slurry" and add to roast.  This will help the juices thicken into a nice gravy.  Cook for another minute or two then turn heat off and serve.  Mmm....hearty and delicious!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos

I've been in a rut with my pork loin roast, making it the same old way every time.  Toss it in the slow cooker, add some bbq sauce, some apple sauce, some seasonings, onions and bell peppers, cook on low all day, serve on buns w/ extra bbq sauce and maybe some salad.  It's yummy but this weekend I got a hankering to try something different, slightly.  I came up with pulled pork tacos!  Mmmm....  I googled a recipe but couldn't find one that really "spoke" to me, or the ingredients in my kitchen!  So, as usual, I picked and chose what I liked best from all of the recipes and here is what I came up with:

1 pork loin roast, my store sells them in 1.7lb packages
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 fresno or jalapeno pepper, minced
1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 T each chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper (one recipe I saw called for unsweetened cocoa powder, like mole sauce, if I had that I would  have used it but I didn't so I didn't!)
Pinch of chipotle chili flakes
1 T brown sugar

Rinse pork and trim off extra fat and connective tissue.  Place in slow cooker and top with veggies.  Mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl and pour over the pork.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.  I started mine at 11 and turned it to low at 2.  By 4 it was perfect and I turned the heat off to let it sit until dinner time.  When ready to serve, remove the pork and some of the sauce (depending on how saucy you want it) to a large bowl.  Shred with two forks.

Spoon onto tortillas and top with desired toppings.  I used diced tomato, shredded lettuce, pepper jack cheese, and an avocado sour cream sauce (mix 1 avocado, heaping T sour cream, 1/2 a fresh lime).  Use the rest of the lime for your Negra Modelo!  Yummy yum yum.  The kids even ate it.  I think I see a new "rut" in my future.