‘Cue the Grill

Delicious & Unique International Pot Roast Recipes

By Chef Kelly

Hello Lakes Region. Here we are, a month into the new year and watching the temperature drop like the ball in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. December gave us a relatively mild month, but Mother Nature is sure making up for it now. Snow is good, freezing weather, not so much! When it comes to this weather however, it brings out a certain craving in just about all of us for good old fashioned comfort foods. There are many favorites out there, such as mac and cheese, meatloaf and mashed potatoes, a great casserole, a nice hearty stew, and of course, a great pot roast.

Although most people are quite used to the yummy run of the mill pot roast, today I want to share an array of different pot roast recipes, many with an international inspiration. I have one with a Japanese take on it, a Mexican pot roast and a Mediterranean version as well. I also have one smothered with bacon and onions and one braised in Pinot Noir. These don’t sound like the pot roasts your grandmother used to make now, does it? If you read all of these, you will notice the ingredients are quite similar with the exception of subtracting and adding a few ingredients to give it its unique qualities to the region it represents. All in all, it’s kind of cool.

If you are looking for the usual beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, turnip, and such that Mom always made, you came to the wrong place. But if looking for something more fun and as far as I’m concerned, much more delicious than the old standard, you are at the right place. However, as I like to say often, it’s always easy to adjust and make any recipe more to your liking. You can always add more veggies or anything else you might like, but if you do so, you will likely have to bulk up the liquid that is used in each recipe as well as the thickener.

Let’s start off with the only one of this bunch that doesn’t use beef as the protein, but instead lamb shanks. Since lamb is the theme, this is the one with the Mediterranean twist as lamb is a staple in that style of cooking. There is no doubt that lamb is a love it or leave it kind of protein as very few fall in the middle of a “Take it or Leave it” mentality. One thing I love to stress with this recipe is that depending on how many you are making it for, like many soups, this pot roast dish is actually even better the second day, not that it isn’t great the fi rst time around as well, but I’m just saying leftovers are a very beautiful thing. This will take about 30 minutes to prep, 2 ½ hours to cook, which is the least amount of any cooking time of the bunch, and it will feed 4.

Pot Roasted Lamb Shanks with Cannelloni Beans

1 ½ cups dried cannelloni beans, soaked overnight and drained 1 bay leaf 4 meaty lamb shanks

Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper 4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled 3 cups chicken stock 1 tsp sherry vinegar 1 tsp chopped thyme

In a large saucepan, cover the beans and the bay leaf with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until the beans are tender, about 2 hours. Drain the beans and discard the bay leaf. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°. Heat an enameled cast-iron casserole that’s large enough to hold the lamb shanks in a single layer. Sea-

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continued from page 10 son the shanks with salt and black pepper and cook over moderate heat, turning a few times, until lightly browned all over, about 15 minutes. Nestle the garlic cloves among the shanks. Cover and cook in the oven for about 1 hour and 45 minutes, turning 3 times, until the shanks are very tender. Reduce the oven temperature to 200°. Transfer the shanks to a small roasting pan, and the garlic cloves to a small bowl. Cover the shanks with foil and keep warm in the oven. Strain the juices from the casserole into a bowl and skim off the fat. Return the juices to the casserole, add the chicken stock and set the casserole over a burner. Boil over high heat until the juices have reduced to 2 cups, about 12 minutes. Peel the garlic cloves and add the sherry vinegar. With a fork, mash to a paste. Add the garlic paste to the juices in the casserole and stir in the beans and thyme. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Place the lamb shanks on plates and serve with the beans.

The beans can be prepared the day before if it makes your life easier. Keep refrigerated if you do and pull a couple of hours in advance of preparing the yummy meal.

Next on the Hit List is a usual fan favorite in that it has bacon and onions. I mean seriously, unless you are a vegetarian, I know you like bacon. I think it’s part of our DNA. This recipe also has a tremendous array of different flavors which creates an outstanding final product that has Portuguese roots. This will take about 45 minutes of prep and 3 ½ hours to cook and will feed 6.

Pot Roast Smothered With Bacon and Onions

3 tbsp unsalted butter 1 lb. thick cut bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces 3- 3 ½ lb. chuck roast

Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper 3 lbs. onions, sliced very thin 12 large cloves of garlic, chopped 1 ¼ cups water 20 whole allspice berries 10 black peppercorns ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes 1 bay leaf 3 cups dry white wine 2 tbsp fresh minced parsley

In a large, enameled cast-iron casserole, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the bacon and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the roast between the strings into four 1-inch-thick slabs. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Working in 2 batches, cook the meat in the casserole over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. Lower the heat to moderate for the second batch if the butter begins to brown too quickly. Remove the strings, keeping the steaks intact, if possible. Preheat the oven to 350°. Add the onions, garlic, 1/4 cup of the water and 1 teaspoon of salt to the casserole. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring and scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the casserole, about 8 minutes. Transfer half of the onions to a plate. Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter into the onions in the casserole. Nestle the steaks into the onions, overlapping them slightly if necessary. Add the allspice berries, peppercorns, crushed red pepper and bay leaf and lay half of the reserved bacon over the steaks. Spread the remaining onions and bacon on top. Add the wine and the remaining 1 cup of water and bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over moderately high heat for 5 minutes. Transfer the casserole to the oven and cook for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 250° and continue braising for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the steaks are very tender. Turn the oven off, uncover the casserole and let the meat stand in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve the meat and onions in deep plates; spoon the sauce on top and sprinkle with the parsley. I like to serve over rice with a crusty bread to sop up the delicious sauce.

Off to the Middle East for this Japanese influenced pot roast dish. Being as authentic as it is, a couple of ingredients can be hard to find at times, but there are ample substitutions. In particular, the recipe calls for 1 ½ lbs. of daikon, which is a Japanese radish, which all in all is much milder in flavor and much bigger than the radishes we know. Our radishes won’t work as a replacement, but turnips will work if you add some horseradish as well to help bring a little heat that the daiikon would generally give you. This will require about an hour of prep and will take 4 ½ hours or so to cook and will feed 8.

Japanese Inspired Pot Roast

1 chuck eye roast or other roast, about 4-4 ½ lbs, tied

Kosher salt and fresh grind pepper

Flour for dusting ¼ cup of virgin olive oil 1 large onion, coarsely chopped ¼ cup mirin 3 cloves of garlic 6 slices of ginger 3 cups of beef stock or broth ½ cup soy sauce ½ star anise pod ½ lb. shitake mushroom caps 1 lb. of large carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally ½ inch thick 1 ½ lbs. of daikon, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks **

1 ½ tsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp water, mixed ** If no daikon, use 1 pound of turnips with a little horseradish to add a peppery flavor.

Preheat the oven to 300°. Season the roast with salt and pepper and dust with flour. In a medium, enameled cast-iron pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the roast; cook over moderate heat, turning, until browned all over, 20 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the onion, garlic and ginger to the pot and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the stock, mirin, soy sauce and star anise and bring to a boil. Return the meat to the pot, cover and transfer to the oven. Braise for 2 1/2 hours or until tender, turning once halfway through. Add the onion, garlic and ginger to the pot and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the stock, mirin, soy sauce and star anise and bring to a boil. Return the meat to the pot, cover and transfer to the oven. Braise for 2 1/2 hours or until tender, turning once halfway through.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook over high heat until golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer the roast to a plate. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl; discard the solids. Skim off the fat and return the liquid and meat to the pot. Add the mushrooms, carrots and daikon. Cover and braise in the oven for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Transfer the roast to a work surface.

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continued from page 11 Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a deep serving platter and cover. Boil the liquid until reduced to 3 1/2 cups. Stir the cornstarch slurry and whisk it into the simmering liquid until thickened. Remove the strings from the roast and cut into thick slices; arrange on the platter and pour the sauce on top. Serve with rice or Udon noodles and dig in with your chop sticks..

OK, so now let’s take a trip south of the border for a fun and spicy pot roast. Like I said earlier, this is another recipe that is outstanding the second time around. Certain flavors just have that way about them where they get better with time and this a great example. This one takes an hour of prep, 4 hours of cooking time and feeds 8.

Spicy Ancho Chile Pot Roast

1 chuck eye roast or other roast, 4-4 ½ lbs, tied

Kosher salt and fresh grind black pepper

Flour for dusting 2 tbsp olive oil 4 large ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded 1 large onion, coarsely chopped 3 cloves of garlic 4 cups beef broth or stock 6 sprigs of thyme sprigs, 6 parsley sprigs and 2 bay leaves, tied 1 ½ lbs. Yukon potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks

1 ½ tsp cornstarch and 2 tbsp water, mixed

Preheat the oven to 300°. Season the roast with salt and pepper and dust with flour. In a medium, enameled cast-iron pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the roast with salt and pepper and dust with flour and add the roast; cook over moderate heat, turning, until browned all over, 20 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Meanwhile, soak the ancho chiles in ½ cup boiling water for 20 minutes. In a food processor or blender, puree the chiles with their liquid. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and cook, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the chile puree, stock and herb bundle and bring to a boil.

Return the meat to the pot, cover and transfer to the oven. Braise for 2 1/2 hours or until tender, turning once halfway through. Transfer the roast to a plate. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl; discard the solids. Skim off the fat and return the liquid and meat to the pot. Add the potatoes. Cover and braise in the oven for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Transfer the roast to a work surface. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a deep serving platter and cover. Boil the liquid until reduced to 3 1/2 cups. Stir the cornstarch slurry and whisk it into the simmering liquid until thickened. Remove the strings from the roast and cut into thick slices; arrange on the platter and pour the sauce on top. Make yourself a margarita and enjoy!

OK, so I sort of lied a little while back. I do have a somewhat traditional pot roast recipe in that it has most of the traditional veggies and such, but the gravy is unique and delicious. This is my favorite recipe of the day. Most everything is best when cooking with wine, and no I am not talking about drinking it while cooking although I am a fan of that as well. But when you add a bottle of Pinot Noir into the cooking process, you have a great French twist on the pot roast This recipe has 3 components to it, one being mashed potatoes, one being pickled onions and the last being the pot roast with veggies.. This takes an hour to prep, close to 3 hours to cook and it will serve 4.

Pinot Noir Braised Pot Roast with Root Vegetable

Pot Roast

2 ½-3 lb. chuck roast, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Flour, for dredging 6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 3 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 lb celery root, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 bottle of fruity Pinot Noir, 750 ml 4 tbsp unsalted butter 1 tsp white balsamic vinegar

Pickled Red Onion

1 red onion ½ cup white balsamic vinegar 1 bay leaf 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp kosher salt 1 tsp whole pink peppercorns

Mashed Potatoes

1 ½ lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch hunks 1 sweet onion, chopped

Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper 4 tbsp butter

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

More extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil. Season the meat with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Working in 2 batches, sear the meat over moderately high heat until browned all over, 5 minutes per batch; transfer to a plate. Add the vegetables to the casserole and cook over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Return the meat and juices to the pot, add the wine and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender, 1 hour and 30 minutes. Stir in the butter and vinegar, season with salt and pepper.

For the pickled onions, pack the sliced red onion into a 1-quart jar. In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, bay leaf, sugar, salt, peppercorns and 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the brine over the red onion and let cool; drain well.

For the mashed potatoes, in a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes and onion with cold water and bring to a boil. Add a big pinch of salt and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, 40 minutes. Drain the potatoes; return to the saucepan. Mash them with the butter, season with salt and pepper and whisk until a chunky puree forms. Spoon the mashed potatoes onto shallow plate/ bowls. Top with the pot roast, garnish with the pickled red onion and parsley and drizzle with olive oil; serve. This is also outstanding with warm crusty bread to sop up the gravy.

Well, that’s it boys and girls. Stay warm and eat up some of these pot roast recipes and other “Stick to Your Ribs” kind of comfort foods. Keep your taste buds happy and I’ll see you all next month and if you have any questions or feedback on the recipes, touch base at fenwaysox10@gmail.com. 71 Main Street, Meredith, NH 71 Main Street, Meredith, NH 603-677-7048 603-677-7048

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New Hampshire Fish and Game Department offi cials urge outdoor enthusiasts to exercise caution when enjoying winter activities near the ice, especially after this season’s fl uctuating temperatures. Parents are also urged to educate themselves about ice safety and share this knowledge with their children to help prevent accidents.

“Caution is in order for those going out onto any ice, especially following the recent extreme fl uctuations in temperature and precipitation,” said Colonel Kevin Jordan, Chief of Fish and Game’s Law Enforcement Division. “With erratic weather conditions, some areas of ice may look safe, but may not be. We are urging people to check the ice thickness before going out onto any frozen waterbody.”

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Small bodies of water tend to freeze thicker. Rivers and lakes are more prone to wind, currents, and wave action that weaken ice.

Never gather in groups on less than 8–10 inches of hard ice.

Always bring along a rescue rope, ice picks, and a personal fl otation device such as a fl oat coat or life preserver.

If you do break through the ice, stay calm. Move or swim back to where you fell in, where you know the ice was solid. Lay both arms on the unbroken ice and kick hard. This will help lift your body onto the ice. A set of ice picks can help you pull yourself out; wear them around your neck or put them in an easily accessible pocket. Once out of the water, roll away from the hole until you reach solid ice.

If someone you are with breaks through the ice, don’t rush over to the hole—keep yourself safe. Look for something to throw or to use to reach out to the person such as a rope, tree branch, or ice spud. Lie down fl at and reach out with your tool. After securing the person, do not stand—wiggle backwards on the solid ice pulling the person with you.

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