Sunday dinners Archives - The Midnight Baker

Mom’s Sunday (Leftover Coffee) Pot Roast

Judith Hannemann — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 23:02:15 +0000

Mom never let anything go to waste even leftover coffee and this Sunday pot roast is a perfect example.

Sunday Dinner

Above all, Sunday dinners are when families gather.

I grew up in a very diverse neighborhood that included folks of Italian, Irish and Jewish descent. Each family has their own traditions, of course, but they all seemed to gather together for a Sunday meal.

Pot roast was popular with each of these ethnic groups, differing only with seasonings and cooking methods. My mom made pot roast a number of ways and I have to admit that several of them were not on my favorites list. This one, however, is one I’ve always enjoyed.

Since my mother grew up in the UK during the Great Depression and also came from a large family, food was at times scarce and you never wasted anything even coffee. That was a caveat that stayed with my mother until the day she died.

Yes, Coffee!

Neither my mom nor dad were big coffee drinkers. My mother drank more of it than my father which I always found curious since she was British and my dad was American.

Nonetheless, sometimes the pot she’d make often had leftover coffee. Being that she was into not wasting food, the leftover coffee would find a way into other stuff she’d make–mainly in baking where she’d use it in place of water in chocolate concoctions turning them into mocha concoctions.

One time it found it’s way into the braising liquid for this pot roast. It worked and was delicious so it became one of her main pot roast recipes.

Cut Of Beef

Mom used chuck for the majority of her pot roast recipes, but this one she’d insist on eye of round. Eye of round is lean and doesn’t add much fat to the resulting gravy. It also slices well with very little, if any, waste.

I recently felt like eating this so I had eye of round on the grocery list to be delivered. To be honest, I’d prefer to select my own meat but during this stay-at-home directive, it’s delivery or pick up since I really don’t want to chance going to the store.

Anyway, the shopper who did my order probably made a mistake and picked up top round instead since the recap didn’t state that it was substituted. So I worked with what I had so trust me when I say any cut will do, but if you can, make it eye of round.

The Recipe

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Mom’s Sunday Pot Roast

The awesome gravy has a secret ingredient

Prep Time15

Cook Time2 30

Course: beef, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy pot roast recipes, pot roast recipe using coffee, using leftover coffee

Servings: 6

Calories: 367kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 tbs canola oil
3 lb eye round roast
1 garlic clove minced
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried rosemary crushed
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion chopped
1 tsp beef bouillon granules
1 cup brewed coffee
3/4 cup water

Gravy:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cold wate

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat; brown roast on all sides. Remove from pan. Mix garlic and seasonings; sprinkle over roast.
Add onion to same pan; cook and stir over medium heat until tender; stir in bouillon, coffee and 3/4 cup water.
Add roast; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until meat is tender, about 2-1/2 hours.
Remove roast from pan, reserving cooking juices. Tent with foil; let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
Mix flour and cold water until smooth; stir into cooking juices. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Serve with roast.

Nutrition

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Slow Cooker Classic Pot Roast

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Classic Pot Roast (Slow Cooker)

A classic American dinner–pot roast. The all-time comfort food made easily in the crock pot.

Pot roast always makes me think of a Norman Rockwell painting. After all, it’s an American classic for Sunday dinner.

The slow cooker makes it easy because it does all the work for you. This is one you can truly set and forget.

Sunday Dinner

I’ve always found that the flavor improves if it sits overnight, so I make mine ahead then chill the pan juices separately from the meat and veggies. That way, it’s pretty easy to skim off the fat because it will all congeal! Then I just reheat everything in the pan juices and thicken the gravy. Chuck really makes the best tasting pot roast, but it does contain it’s fair share of fat–which is why it’s tasty–so whenever I use it, I do chill the juices.

Rump would be a good, less fatty alternative to the chuck. I’ve substituted it when it’s been on sale and was very pleased with the flavor. Since it’s shaped like a roast, you can then get real slices instead of “hunks” of meat.

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Slow Cooker Classic Pot Roast

A classic American dinner–pot roast. The all-time comfort food made easily in the crock pot.

Prep Time2 31

Cook Time8

Total Time10 31

Course: beef, Comfort Foods, Everyday Meals, Slow Cooker

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pot roast

Servings: 4

Calories: 701kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3-4 lb boneless chuck roast
1 lb carrots
1 lb small red potatoes about 2" in diameter
2 stalks celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 beef stock cubes
1 cup water
1/4 tsp Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet optional

TO THICKEN

2 tbs cornstarch for each cup of liquid
2 tbs water for each cup of liquid

Instructions

Spray or line the crock of a 5-7 quart slow cooker.
Sprinkle rub on all sides of the meat and rub in well. Place meat and onions in slow cooker.
Peel carrots and slice in half crosswise. Cut celery in 1-inch chunks. Peel potatoes. Place them all in the slow cooker.
Add the water and the stock cubes. Cover slow cooker and cook on HI for 5-6 hours or on LOW for 8-10 hours (times approximate).
HINT: I always make my pot roast a day in advance so I can chill the liquid and remove the congealed fat easily. Plus pot roast improves when it sits overnight! Try this if you don't do it already!
When roast is done, remove meat and vegetables. Either skim the fat from the liquid (or use my method of chilling to let the fat congeal for easier removal). Add the Gravy Master at this point if you are using it.
To thicken pan juices, turn slow cooker to HI and stir in 2 tbs cornstarch mixed with 2 tbs water for EACH cup of pan juices. Stir constantly until well mixed. Cook for 1 minute after juices begin to bubble.
If you cook it the day before as I do, store the meat & vegetables in a separate container from the pan juices. Skim the fat off the chilled pan juices and reheat the veggies and meat in a pan on the stove. When heated through, remove the meat & veggies and proceed with thickening the gravy, if desired, as above.
Serves about 4 people.

Notes

RUB FOR MEAT

Nutrition

Classic Slow Cooker Pot Roast

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Cherry Glazed Country Ribs

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Cherry Glazed Country Ribs (served with fruited quinoa)

Did I ever mention my love for pork? Many times? Here it is again. I love the stuff. Roasted, grilled, any which way and especially with fruit, cherries in particular. In honor of February being National Cherry Month, here’s my entry. Wonderfully glazed with a cherry/orange/balsamic combo.

Recently, my store had country-style ribs on special. I’m not sure if these are called the same thing in every part of the US, and I know cuts we have here have different names abroad, but described, “country-style ribs” are really just very thick rib chops with part of the fatty outer end hacked off. They are from the rib-end of the loin. They look to me like thick rib chops where part was sheared off diagonally down.

You can probably substitute belly ribs or even baby back ribs for this dish too.

Two amazing flavors

Recently, I’ve become a huge fan of quinoa as well. The quinoa in this recipe is fragrant with orange, dried fruit (mainly dried cherries) and toasted almonds. If you want to substitute cous cous for the quinoa, go ahead. It’d work as well, maybe even better! But since I have tons of quinoa, that’s what I’m doing here.

I’m on a recipe development roll. So far everything has been successful and no disasters. Maybe soon and I’ll post that too for laughs!

Cherry Glazed Country Ribs
(with fruited quinoa)

4 lbs country-style pork ribs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp summer savory (substitute thyme if you don’t have savory)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cherry preserves
1 tsp orange zest
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 tsp orange zest
1 cup orange juice
1 cup water
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup toasted almonds

Prepare dry rub by mixing together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, savory and brown sugar. Sprinkle over ribs and rub in. Place ribs in a zipper-seal bag and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place ribs on a rack and roast at 325 for 1 hour.

While ribs are baking, prepare glaze by mixing together the cherry preserves, orange zest and the balsamic vinegar.

In the last 10 minutes of roasting, brush ribs with part of the glaze, reserving some glaze to coat before serving.

Prepare quinoa as directed on package (I use a rice cooker), except in place of the water, use 1 cup water and 1 cup orange juice. When quinoa has absorbed all liquid, add the dried cherries. Reserve 2 tbs. of the toasted almonds for garnish and add the rest to the quinoa. Stir.

Remove quinoa to serving platter. Brush ribs with more glaze and place on top of the quinoa. Sprinkle with reserved almonds.

Serves 4

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