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If I am not careful it won't be long before everyone will think all of my meals involve some sort of alcohol lol. While that is not the case, have you ever noticed that pub food is tastier than most normal restaurants, or looked at how many really flavorful recipes included either alcohol or a fermented food of some kind? There are several reasons for that and almost none of them include getting tipsy, unless of course you are sampling as you cook. The liquid you cook with can be used to enhance the flavor of a dish, tenderize meat, concentrate the flavor of a sauce, moisten a loaf of bread or make a great glaze to top off the dish.
Once again, this recipe does contain an ingredient known to cause unsteadiness when consumed on its own but when used combined with food adds a depth of flavor to everything it touches. Before I get going, a quick shout out to Travis who was the inspiration behind todays meal. As of yet he is the only person to send me a suggestion to it is only fair that I we make this meal at his request. The original recipe involved digging a large hole, adding hot charcoal and burying a dutch oven for hours. While this may make a tasty slow cooked meal, I don't have a spot for the hole, nor do I want to clean the oven afterwards. So tonight we will still be cooking with cast iron, but we will do it in doors.
There are many variations on a whisky pot roast out there you can look at using various amounts and types of your liquid, however, all have them have a couple things in common. Whisky and slow cooked meat. Start by gathering together your dry ingredients. Tonight we are using potatoes, chopped carrots, sliced onions, minced garlic, and local beef from the W Lazy 5 Cattle Co. I prefer to use the whole baby potatoes when available but please use whatever you already have on hand. Next, melt about 3 tablespoons of butter in your cast iron skillet and add a couple springs of rosemary. Sear your roast on all sides then transfer to the dutch oven. Here you will add your veggies distributing them around the pan seared roast. Then, add 1 package of onion soup mix, 2-3 cups of beef broth, and 1-2 cups of whisky. The quantity of liquid will vary depending on your preference, size of the meal, and depth of the pot. You need enough liquid to allow your food to cook for an extended period of time without burning so generally speaking the liquid will just reach the top of the ingredients without completely covering them. The preference part comes in to play with the flavor profile you are looking for. More whisky will add a depth of flavor beyond what is in the broth but a lower quantity will add just a subtle hint of what it brings to the table. Most bourbons have a strong taste of vanilla, caramel and charred oak which will go nicely with the beef and tonight we are using Jack Daniel's left over from our previous recipes bourbon sauce. The dutch oven was placed inside the oven, rather than buried in the back yard, at left to cook at 375 for 3 to 4 hours. This makes a delicious Sunday dinner that can be left on its own to cook either in the oven or slow cooker when you head out to church and enjoyed when you return home.
As couple thoughts for you on variations of this dish, using a can of coke or dr. pepper will work as a replacement for the whiskey. It looses the depth of flavor but gains an added sweetness brought by the coke. Adding some jalapenos or your other favorite pepper such as a piri-piri or cayenne if you like it hot or a smoked chipotle or guajillo for a more mild addition. I would stay away from the bell peppers for this one as personal preference simply based on the flavors I like. If you want to replace that pit roasted flavor try adding just a little liquid smoke as well.
1 package small baby potatoes unpeeled
3 carrots chopped into large pieces ( or one package mixed color baby carrots)
1\2 yellow onion sliced
3 tablespoons minced garlic ( I left out the garlic this time)
3 tablespoons butter
2 springs fresh rosemary (no rosemary at the store for this one)
1package onion soup mix
1 1\2 cups beef broth
1 1\2 cups Jack Daniels
Post supper time :)
The roast was very delicious, the juices soaked the potatoes and everything was extremely tasty. I added a frozen dinner roll from the freezer and an amazing homemade cookie for dessert which had been kept frozen until ready to cook. Overall the meal was a complete success and I will be doing a repeat. One thing I will do differently next time is reduce the amount of liquid. My roast was still slightly frozen, and the juice from the roast added to the liquid in the pot was more than what was needed. 3\4 cup of broth would have been sufficient for this but as it is I can make a tasty sauce to cover the leftovers.
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