Chinese Pot Roast - revisited

This recipe is unbelievable.  Even in the summer.

From 2011-05-20

1 (4 pound) boneless beef chuck roast
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cups water
3/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground ginger  (I used 1/3 of a cup.  I like ginger)
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

I can never add the ginger recipes call for. It's my shortcoming, for real.

From 2011-05-20

From 2011-05-20

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Coat the chuck roast with garlic salt, pepper and mustard powder. Heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the roast and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.

In a medium bowl, stir together 3 cups of water, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, ginger and celery seed. Pour over the roast and then cover the roast tightly with a lid or aluminum foil.

Bake in the preheated oven until the roast is very tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

When the roast is done, remove it from the pan to a serving plate. Set the pan of drippings over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Stir together cornstarch and 1/4 cup of cold water. Pour into the boiling liquid and stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Serve the roast with the gravy poured over.

Rapture meal

Tonight is a good meal.  Just in case.  #rapture   Hong Kong Flank Steak

Flank Steak 

1/4 cup soy sauce 

1/4 dry sherry 

1 T minced fresh ginger  (I never follow directions.  I probably used 1/4 a cup) 

1 T minced garlic

1 T sesame oil

1 T peanut oil

1 T rice vinegar 

1 T honey

2 t hot chili oil

salt and pepper to taste 

Mix it all, put it in a zip lock bag.  Let it marinate for at least 8 hours, overnight preferable. Cook until desired doneness.  We like it rare.  6 minutes each side. 

Here is the rest of the menu.  

From 2011-05-21

A nice slow cooked pork shoulder

Our lazy Sundays are coming to winter's end.  Soon our Sundays will be mostly composed of sunrises, crashing waves and walks on the beach.   Having a Sunday to lounge and a pork shoulder to cook, I thought I would fire up the slow cooker before storing it for the summer.  I found what looks to be a fabulous recipe, again courtesy of Allrecipes.com.


A Nice Slow-Cooked Pork

INGREDIENTS:
1 (3 pound) pork shoulder roast
1 quart vegetable broth  (I used chicken broth and cut it in half)
1 cup sherry (per others input, used 1/2 a cup)
3 cups peeled, chopped potatoes (I used 3 potatoes as that's all I had)
2 cups pearl onions (I used a large, white onion quartered)
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (only because Paul doesn't eat mushrooms)
1 tablespoon dried rosemary (I used fresh and more because I LOVE rosemary)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place the pork roast in a slow cooker. Pour in the vegetable broth and sherry. Mix in the potatoes, onions, mushrooms, rosemary, and pepper. (I set everything on top)
2. Cover, and cook on Low at least 8 hours, to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Season with salt to taste.

As you can see, I almost never follow directions.  It's sort of a thing for me but I live with it.  :)  I also added five carrots, two cloves of garlic and a little red wine vinegar.  Many of the comments said that there was too much liquid so I cut way back and will check it throughout the day.  It looks delicious.