The Aussie Gourmet: Beer Braised Roast

In The K tchen Braised Beer Roast

By Naomi Nachman

I have cooked this roast many times over the years. This past week, I had just come back from Israel visiting the grandkids. I landed on a Friday morning and had minimal ingredients in my house. I had asked my daughter to pick up a chuck roast (the kind that has the netting) while I was away, and I figured that upon my return I would whip up a something with it. On Friday morning, I looked in my pantry and I found a bottle of beer, some spices, and some potatoes and onions. Within minutes, I had my house smelling divine from the roast that I was braising. The roast was a huge hit on Shabbos, and on Sunday night, we licked the pot clean with the leftovers � which tasted even better because the flavors became concentrated in the fridge.

Ingredients

◦ 3 pound California roast (chuck roast) or second cut brisket

◦ Your favorite spice rub

◦ Kosher salt

◦ 2 onions, sliced into half-moon rings

◦ 8 potatoes, chunked

◦ 1 bottle of beer

Preparation

1. Rub the roast generously with your favorite spice mix. (I used Simply Gourmet Smoky Coff ee Rub and then seasoned with kosher salt.)

2. Heat a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pan with canola oil on medium high heat, and sauté the onions until translucent.

3. Push the onions to the side and sear the meat on all sides. Don’t skip the searing. It adds tons of fl avor to the dish. Watch the onions for burning.

4. Once the meat is browned, move the onions around the meat and pour in the beer.

5. When the beer has come to a boil, cover the meat and lower the fl ame. Cook on low for 4 hours.

6. Add in the potatoes and cook for another two hours, until potatoes are soft.

I kept the meat on the stove until candle lighting. Shut the fl ame and cover it with a towel to keep it warm. Alternately, you could put it on a blech.

Cook’s note: If you don’t want to cook it on the stovetop, you can place it covered in the oven at 325°F for 3-4 hours.

Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.