by kickaby on April 29, 2013
I hate pot roast. My husband loves pot roast. Now thats a pickle isnt it!! I have never ever liked it. Always too dry, never enough flavor. I literally hated the days my mom would spend the morning putting it together in the crock pot. And it wasnt just hers either, I didnt like anyones pot roast. Not my Grandmas, not a friends mom who everyone said made the best one. Not one. Then I watched Ree Drummond make her Perfect Pot Roast, and she said she had never liked it for the same reasons as me, but now all of the sudden she loved it, and said hers would change me. I decided to give it a shot because it had been a while since my husband had had one of his favorite meals, and he shouldnt have to suffer on my account. So I made it. I had 3 helpings. It was one of the best things I have ever eaten.
You will need:
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
One 3 to 5-pound chuck roast
2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 whole onions, peeled and halved
6 to 8 whole carrots, unpeeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 cup red wine, optional
3 cups beef broth
2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 or 3 sprigs fresh thyme
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.Generously salt and pepper the chuck roast.
Heat the olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the halved onions to the pot, browning them on both sides. Remove the onions to a plate.
Throw the carrots into the same very hot pot and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so. Reserve the carrots with the onions.
If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pot. Place the meat in the pot and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.
With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pot, scraping the bottom with a whisk. Place the roast back into the pot and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway.
Add in the onions and the carrots, along with the fresh herbs.
Put the lid on, then roast for 3 hours for a 3-pound roast. For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours. The roast is ready when it’s fall-apart tender.
I made this recipe exactly as the recipe said. It was fantastic, and a must try for everyone!
by kickaby on April 29, 2013
So I kind of created my particular version of this all on my own. I wanted something fun and interesting to eat, while still getting my mexican fix! I had all the fixings for tacos and a package of pie crust with no want or ingredients to make a pie. So I decided to try my hand at some homemade taco empanadas.
You will want:
Package of pie crust
1lb of ground beef, or meat of choice
Taco seasoning
sour cream
shredded cheese
Preheat the oven to the temperature listed on the pie crust. You only need to cook according to that since the meat will be fully cooked once you put it inside.
You will want to cut your pie crust into circles, that can be folded into half moons. I used a biscuit cutter but whatever you have will work just fine. Next you will want to cook your meat until done and then add your seasoning, whether it be a packet or homemade mix. When I made these I did not add the water to mine. I wanted to seasoning to be a little stronger for what I was going to do.
Next you will want to mix into the meat and seasoning enough sour cream to make it wet, without being runny. Along with a few handfuls of shredded cheese. I used the sour cream to help keep it creamy inside while baking so it would keep as much moisture as it could and not dry out.
Meat mixture
Then you fold the circles of dough into a half moon and seal shut with a fork, use water on your fingers to seal any major gaps or openings. Place them on a baking sheet about an inch apart and bake for time allotted on pie crust instructions.
I figured these would be best if you had something to dip them into. I made a Spicy Sour Cream sauce, I heated up sour cream and added smoked paprika to my desired heat level. You could also just do salsa, or even pair these with a mexican layer dip for complimentary flavors.
We really liked them a lot! They were easy to make, easy to eat and like most all my other recipes easy on our wallet..when all paired together is a really great combination!
The final product!
You will need: