Food Medic

2011-01-14T16:39:00.000-05:00

Bacon Cheddar Mac'n'Cheese

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for salting the pasta water
2 cups firmly packed shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (about 1⁄2 pound)

1 pound fusilli (corkscrew) or other pasta
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound bacon, diced (about 1 cup cooked)
1/2 cup sour cream, for garnish
3 cups heavy cream

1. Bring a medium (6- to 8-quart) pot of water to a boil. Salt it generously (it should taste like the sea). Stir in the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain (but don’t rinse, or you’ll rinse away starches that will help thicken the sauce) and return to the empty pot.

2. Meanwhile, place a large (12- to 14-inch) sauté pan over high heat for several minutes. When hot, add the bacon and sauté until browned and crispy (lower the heat to medium-high if necessary to prevent scorching), about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and, using a slotted spoon or spatula, remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels.

3. Pour off the fat from the pan (into a metal can or heatproof cup, not down the drain or you’ll potentially clog your pipes) and return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the heavy cream and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat to medium and continue to simmer until the cream is reduced slightly, about 3 minutes.

4. Add the Cheddar cheese and bacon. Stir well and cook over medium-high heat, stirring now and then, until the cheese has melted and the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper.

5. Stir the sauce into the cooked and drained pasta in the pot. Place over medium heat and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken the sauce and allow the pasta to absorb the flavors, stirring now and then.

6. Serve in individual bowls topped with a dollop of sour cream.

Bella Italia

2011-01-14T16:32:00.000-05:00

Some of our favourite Italian meals...

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Sauce:
1 796ml can Plum Tomatoes (Italian Style Tomatoes)
1 680ml can Tomato Sauce
1 156ml can Tomato Paste
1 Green Pepper
1 Red Pepper
1 large Onion
6 cloves Garlic
2 ribs Celery
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Fennel Seeds
1/2 tsp Crushed Chili Flakes
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp Thyme
1/4 tsp Rosemary
2 Tbsp Parsley
1/2 cup Red Wine
2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Meatballs:
1 pound Ground Beef
1 pound Italian Sausage
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/8 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
Splash Red Wine

1. Rough Chop the green pepper, red pepper, onion and celery. Combine all with the garlic cloves and toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in a 350F oven for 30 - 45 minutes until starting to brown.

2. Combine the roast vegetables and the remainder of the sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender (may have to do in batches) and process until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

3. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with two forks until combined. Roll large spoonfuls into balls and drop into the sauce, simmer on med-low for 1 - 2 hours.

4. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add 1 Tbsp. salt. Cook enough spaghetti for the amount of people eating (1/4 of a 454g package per adult), for 7 - 9 minutes, drain but don't rinse, you'll lose the starches that help the sauce stick to the spaghetti.

5. Combine noodles and sauce, sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Safety Note: While it may seem strange to put raw meatballs in your sauce, as long as the sauce simmers for 1 hour or more they will be cooked to 160F inside. The meatballs may still appear pink in color, but they will be cooked.

Sausage & Arugula Penne

1 454 gram package penne
1 pound spicy Italian sausage meat (about 5 sausages)
1 tsp crushed fennel seeds
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 can plum tomatoes
1 cup red wine (such as Chianti)
2 cups baby arugula
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain. Set aside.

2. Cut the sausage casings open and remove the meat. In a large skillet, brown the sausage meat, garlic, fennel seeds and hot pepper flakes in the oil, breaking up the meat into small pieces.

3. Process the tomatoes in a blender or food processor (or throw'em in the pan chunky if you like). Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until all the liquid has evaporated. Add the wine and continue cooking for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the pasta and cheese and heat thoroughly. Adjust the seasoning. Add the arugula and toss lightly with the noodles just before serving.

Note: I find it easier to double this recipe rather than waste 1/2 can of tomatoes. Also, the baby arugula comes in a 4 cup package from Loblaws. Great lunch leftovers for the week.

Sangria

2011-01-14T16:05:00.000-05:00

Sangria

1 bottle full-bodied Beaujolais

¼ cup Grand Marnier or Cointreau liqueur
2 tablespoons brandy
¼ cup orange juice
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
1 Orange, thin sliced
1 Lemon, thin sliced
1 Lime, thin sliced
1 Apple, thin sliced
1 Peach, thin sliced
24 Cherries, halved
12 Strawberries, halved
24 Raspberries, halved
1 750ml bottle sparkling water (or sprite, ginger ale etc..)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, overnight is preferable.
Mix in sparkling water. Serve well chilled over ice.

Twillingate Treats

2011-01-14T16:04:00.000-05:00

My friends Paula and Eddie from New World Island, Newfoundland introduced me to these tasty treats. I found the recipe in an old Newfoundland cookbook.

Lassie Jam Tarts

1 cup Shortening
1 cup Molasses
1 tsp Allspice
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 cup Hot Water
2 cups Flour
Partridgeberry Jam

Melt shortening, stir in molasses and allspice.
Dissolve baking soda in hot water and then mix into molasses mixture.
Add flour, 2 cups or enough to make a soft pastry.
Press firmly into pie tin and fill with partridgeberry jam.
Cute remaining pastry into strips and crisscross top of tart.
Bake in 350F oven until pastry is done.

Eggs Benedict Crêpes

2011-01-14T14:17:00.000-05:00

One of my wifes favorite breakfasts is Eggs Benedict. Another one is Crêpes. So when I found this recipe that combines the two I figured it was her "perfect" breakfast.

Eggs Benedict Crêpes

Herb Crêpes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup butter, divided
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives and thyme

Filling
8 eggs
8 pieces pea-meal bacon, back bacon or smoked ham

Hollandaise Sauce
1/2 cup butter
3 egg yolks
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
pinch Cayenne pepper

1. In blender (or with an immersion blender) combine flour, salt, eggs, milk, 2 Tbsp of the butter and the herbs; process until smooth. Transfer to a pitcher or large measuring cup and cover. Let sit for 1 hour or refriegerate up to 2 days.

2. Heat an 8-inch non-stick or well-seasoned crêpe pan (or regular frying pan) over medium heat. Brush with some of the remaining butter. Stir batter. Pour a scant 1/4 cup of batter into the pan while tilting it so that the batter covers the bottom of the pan in a thin layer; cook for 1 minute or until bottom is golden, flip and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer crêpe to a plate and repeat with remaining batter.

3. For slow-poached eggs, fill a large saucepan fitted with a metal steamer and thermometer with water. Bring to a simmer over low heat until thermometer reads 140 - 145F. Use a ladle to add the eggs to the water gently one at a time. Maintaining the temperature, cook the eggs for 45 minutes.

4. In large skillet cook peameal (or back) bacon until cooked through.

5. In blender jar (or large measuring cup if you have an immersion blender) add 3 egg yolks, dijon mustard, lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Begin blending and slowly stream in the hot melted butter. Sauce should thicken after a few seconds. Keep warm.

6. Divide a slice of bacon over each crêpe. Place one egg on bacon. Fold in sides of crêpe and gently roll up to enclose filling (like a burrito). Top crêpes with warm Hollandaise sauce.

Summer Heat

2010-07-14T16:56:00.000-04:00

This is the very first recipe I attempted with my smoker... courtesy of Food Network's "License to Grill".

Blackberry Smoked Pepper Pork Loin

1 1/2 cups Blackberry Syrup
2 Whole Smoked Sweet Red Bell Peppers
3 Whole Smoked Habanero/Scotch Bonnet Peppers
1/2 cup Rice Wine Vinegar

4 lb Boneless Pork Loin Roast
6 cups Apple Wood Chips
4 cups Mesquite Wood Chips

For The Smoked Peppers:

Place half the wood chips (for a gas grill or all the wood chips if using a charcoal grill) into water to soak for 30 minutes. Prepare the barbecue for indirect grilling. Preheat grill to high heat on one side.
Massage oil into peppers, coating the skin.
Build smoke pouch, if using a gas grill squeeze the excess water from the wood chips and place half the wood chips in the center of a large piece of foil. Add half of the dry chips and mix. Close the foil around the chips sealing the package. Using a fork, poke holes in both sides of the package. Use the same process to make a second pouch with the remaining wood chips. Place directly over high heat source of the grill, close the lid and wait for smoke.
If using charcoal, squeeze the excess water from the chips and sprinkle the chips directly into the fire bed.
Once smoke starts to billow out lower temperature to 200ºF/100ºC. Place peppers on grill and smoke for 2 hours. Replace the smoke pouch after one hour of smoking.

For The Smoked Pork Loin:

Place peppers in food processor with blackberry syrup and rice wine vinegar. Blend until smooth. Place pork and marinade in a sealable bag and marinate in refrigerator for 12-24 hours.
Remove pork from marinade and let it come to room temperature before grilling.
Place half the wood chips (for a gas grill or all the wood chips if using a charcoal grill) into water to soak for 30 minutes. Prepare the barbecue for indirect grilling. Preheat grill to high heat on one side.
Build smoke pouch, if using a gas grill squeeze the excess water from the wood chips and place half the wood chips in the center of a large piece of foil. Add half of the dry chips and mix. Close the foil around the chips sealing the package. Using a fork, poke holes in both sides of the package. Use the same process to make a second pouch with the remaining wood chips. Place directly over high heat source of the grill, close the lid and wait for smoke.
If using charcoal, squeeze the excess water from the chips and sprinkle the chips directly into the fire bed.
Once smoke starts to billow out lower temperature to 200ºC/100ºF. Season pork lightly with salt, add pork to grill and close lid. Continue to smoke for approximately 3 hours, changing the smoke pack half way through. Cook pork until internal temperatures reach 160ºF. Remove from grill and cover with foil.
Let pork rest for 15 minutes before serving.

* I simmer the leftover marinade for 45 minutes to thicken and use it to glaze the pork loin while smoking.

Yummm!

2010-05-28T14:12:00.003-04:00

The title says it all...

Bailey's Ice Cream

6 Egg Yolks

2/3 cup Sugar

2 cups Milk
1/2 pod Vanilla, split
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Baileys Irish Cream

Use a whisk to beat the eggs with 2 Tbsp of the sugar in a bowl until the mixture lifts from the surface in ribbons.
Put the milk, the remaining sugar and the vanilla into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Pour over the egg mixture, beating well. Return to the saucepan and heat gently to thicken the mixture until it coats the back of a spoon - don't heat too fiercely or it will turn to scrambled egg. Strain through a sieve and leave to cool.
Beat the double cream and Baileys into the mixture and process in your ice cream maker according to it's instructions.
Freeze for at least 4 hours to set.

Summer's Here!

2010-05-25T15:43:00.000-04:00

Summer is definitely here, at least it is in Eastern Ontario.... May 25th and it's officially 33C (91.4F for the Imperial minded) as I write this, and that's without the humidity, which makes it feel more like 38C (100F). It would've been rare to see a temperature that high in August in Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia when I was growing up. Today is the kind of day you need ice cold beer and good BBQ, so I broke down and bought a good, old-fashioned charcoal grill. The first dish to cook on it is another of my daughters' favorites dishes.. Beer Can Chicken.

Beer Can Chicken

1 3-4 pound Whole Chicken
1 355ml (12oz) Can of Beer
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 sprigs Fresh Rosemary
2 tsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Juice of 1 Lemon
For Rub:
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Fresh Rosemary, chopped
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Lemon Zest

Combine all rub ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
Remove giblets and the neck from chicken. Sprinkle all over with rub, including cavity. Open can of beer and discard half of it. Place, minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, lemon juice, and pepper flakes and 2 tsp of rub in it. Make sure to pierce two more holes on the top of beer can. Place chicken on top of can.
Preheat grill for a medium heat. Place birds on grill balanced by the beer cans. Grill over indirect medium heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until internal temperature of thigh is 180 degrees. Remove chicken when finished cooking and let sit (with beer can still intact), for 10 minutes before carving.

Notes: This recipe is easier to accomplish with a Beer Can Chicken Roaster pan available at most stores. I exchange the paprika for smoked paprika and the crushed red pepper flakes for crushed chipotle pepper flakes. I also add a small amount of wet hickory wood chips to the charcoal while cooking.

Some of My Kids Favorite Things

2010-05-24T21:01:00.008-04:00

Over the years, through all the recipes I've tried a few have stood out and are now regular requests in my house. My Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe for example is one. I spent years, and tried dozens of recipes, including the ever famous Tollhouse cookie recipe without finding the "right" one. For me, it had to be moist, plump, chewy cookies, not thin crispy ones. I finally came across the perfect recipe courtesy of Food Network host Anna Olson. This recipe lead to requests for cookies from my son Cameron before he could even speak. He would toddle into the kitchen with his copy of "Snuggle Puppy" and point at the illustration of chocolate chip cookies repeatedly, emphasized with grunts around his soother until I would take the hint and start gathering ingredients. Enter the next generation with the the addition of my daughter Meaghan to the family. The cookies are now so frequently made that, at the age of three, she knows all the ingredients and the order they need to go in the bowl. I am certain that I am the single largest purchaser of fresh butter in the south of Ottawa. Anna's recipe, and her show, are so well known in my house that I took the opportunity to visit her bakery in Niagara during the summer of 2009. Little did I realize that she would be there in person, along with her equally renowned husband Michael Olson. She was kind enough to listen to my cookie story and pose for a photo.

Chocolate Chip Cookies A La Anna Olson (AKA Katie, Cameron and Meaghan's Cookies)

3/4 cup Unsalted Butter, room temp

1 cup Dark Brown Sugar

1/4 cup White Sugar

1 Egg

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 cups Flour

2 tsp Cornstarch

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1 300g Bag Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350F.
Cream butter and sugars together. Add egg and vanilla and stir until blended. Stir in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt until blended. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time.
Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by large spoonfuls, rolled into balls (don't flatten) onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake 8 - 12 minutes until edges are just golden brown, cookies will still look a little raw, don't overbake. Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container.

Notes: I usually double this recipe which yields me approximately 60 cookies. Also, for whatever reason, this recipe works best if mixed by hand with a wooden spoon. I love my KitchenAid mixer, but every time I use it to make these cookies they fall flat.

One of the other frequently requested recipes in my house is chocolate cake. When I discovered this recipe in a Baker's cookbook a few years ago, little did I know it would become the birthday cake of choice for my oldest daughter. The recipe was devevloped for Baker's 225th Anniversary by Chef Marcel Desaulniers of the Trellis Restaurant in Williamsburg, Virginia. I've altered the original recipe, in which he makes fudge icing, to ice the cake with Espresso Buttercream Icing. Every year my oldest daughter requests this for her birthday, although it wasn't always as popular with her young friends who didn't appreciate the older flavours that she did.

Baker's 225th Anniversary Cake (with Espresso Icing)

2 tsps Butter, melted, divided

1 3/4 cups Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Salt

8 squares (1 pkg) Baker's Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate

1 cup (2 sticks) Butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 1/4 cups Sugar

3 large Eggs

1/2 cup Buttermilk

1 tsp Vanilla

Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly grease 2 9-inch round cake pans with half of the melted butter. Cover the bottom of each pan with parchment paper; brush evenly with the remaining melted butter. Set aside.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Place chocolate and cut-up butter in a large microwaveable bowl. Microwave on High for 2 minutes or until the butter is melted. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted; set aside.
Beat the sugar and eggs in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed 2 minutes or until slightly thickened and pale in color. Add the chocolate mixture slowly; beat until well blended, about 15 seconds.
Gradually add flour mixture, mixing on low speed until well blended, about 1 minute. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Add buttermilk and vanilla; beat on low speed 15 seconds, then on medium speed for 15 seconds. (If batter is not completely blended at this point, mix by hand with a rubber spatula until mixture is well blended.)
Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared pans; spread with spatula, if necessary, to evenly cover the bottom of each pan.
Bake on the middle oven rack for 30 to 34 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out with fudgy crumbs (Do Not Overbake). Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks; peel away and discard parchment paper. Cool completely. Fill and frost with icing, recipe below. Store in an airtight cake container if possible, at room temperature.

Notes: I find this cake is more moist if made 1 day in advance and allowed to sit in a cake container.

Espresso Buttercream Icing

6 cups Icing Sugar
1/3 cup Cocoa
1 cup Shortening or Butter, room temperature
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
6 - 10 Tbsp half-and-half or milk, divided
6 tsp Instant Espresso, dissolved in 1 - 2 Tbsp hot water, then cooled

In a medium mixing bowl add shortening and vanilla and mix with electric mixer on low speed until blended.
Blend in 2 Tbsp of half-and-half and dissolved, cooled espresso.
Gradually blend in icing sugar and cocoa. Blend in remaining half-and-half as needed to achieve a smooth consistency.

The newest addition to my kid's favorite desserts is the best of all..... Cheesecake. The current favorite is the following Irish Cream Cheesecake.

Irish Cream Cheesecake

1 1/4 cups Graham Crumbs

1/4 cup butter, melted

3 pkg. (250 g each) Cream Cheese, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 squares Baker's White Chocolate, melted

1/3 cup Bailey's Irish Cream

3 eggs

4-1/2 tsp. green coloured sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix melted butter and graham crumbs together, press firmly onto bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add melted chocolate and Bailey's and mix well.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed just until blended.
Pour batter over crust. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, till centre is almost set but still jiggles. Run metal spatula or knife around rim of pan to loosen cake. Allow to cool in oven with door cracked open until cake is room temperature then refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Use green sugar and cloverleaf stencil to decorate surface of chilled cheesecake.

Things I've Been Making....

2010-05-24T17:50:00.003-04:00

So, it's been a while, and I've obviously been eating and therefore cooking. Unfortunately, my lazy streak kicked in and I haven't kept up on the blog. Here's one of the thing's I made last week, the only way we like to eat salmon. Only difference was that I cooked it low and slow with cedar smoking chips in my smoker cabinet.

Cedar Smoked Maple Salmon

1 Side of Salmon (with or without skin)

1 cup Maple Syrup, divided

1/2 cup Olive Oil

Juice of 4 Lemons (approx. 3/4 cup)
2 tsp Black Pepper
1 - 2 Cedar Planks (depending on size)

Soak Cedar Planks in cold water for 1 hour prior to cooking.
Place Salmon in a shallow glass dish (no metal) or Extra Large Ziploc Bag.
Mix together 1/2 cup Maple Syrup, the Olive Oil, Lemon Juice and Black Pepper. Pour over fish, marinate for 20 minutes to 4 hours in refrigerator.
While fish is marinating bring remaining 1/2 cup of Maple Syrup to a boil and simmer until it has reduced in volume by half, set aside.
Preheat BBQ to Med-High heat (approx. 375F). Place Cedar in middle of grill and close lid. Wait until cedar is smoking then place fish on planks. Close lid and cook until salmon is firm, but still flakey, approximately 15 - 40 minutes depending on size of fish. Every 5 - 10 minutes brush salmon with some of the reduced maple syrup. Watch cedar closely and douse any flames that pop up, cedar should only smoulder slowly.
Serve directly on cedar plank.

Copycat Soup

2010-05-07T10:41:00.005-04:00

One of the "must try" places Karen and I had on our list during our California trip was The Olive Garden. So, after a long day at Disneyland we stopped at their Cypress restaurant for supper. The food was excellent, and the service top notch. Of course, I had forgotten that their entrées came with unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks. I decided to try their "Zuppa Toscana", a rustic Tuscan potato and sausage soup. After the first bowl it became clear that I would've been happy to eat multiple bowls of the soup in place of my main course. We all loved the soup so much that the minute I arrived home I began scouring the internet for the recipe. I have found one that claims to be the original Olive Garden recipe, and so tonight will attempt it and see if it lives up to what I remember.

Zuppa Toscana

1 lb ground spicy Italian Sausage (remove casing and crumble)
1½ tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1 large White Onion, diced

4 Tbsp Bacon pieces

2 tsp Garlic puree (3-4 large cloves mashed)

10 cups Chicken Broth

1/2 - 1 cup Heavy Cream (add to taste)

1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, about 4 large potatoes (unpeeled and sliced into thin rounds)
4 cups of cavolo greens, roughly chopped (can use kale or swiss chard)

1. Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.

2. In the same pan, sauté bacon till fat is rendered and add onions and garlic for approximately 10 minutes or until the onions are soft.

3. Add chicken broth to the onions, bacon and garlic. Cook until boiling.

4. Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.

5. Add heavy cream and cook until thoroughly heated.

6. Stir in the sausage.

7. Add greens just before serving.

Serves 6-8

Somewhere To Start

2010-05-06T19:48:00.001-04:00

And so it begins... I have long "advertised" my latest culinary creations on my facebook status, accompanied by threats and curses from friends since these would be a description without a recipe. Then there are the recipes, if only I could find some of those random recipes that I have googled, printed, tried, perhaps loved and lost to who knows where, never to be found again.

So, newly returned from a trip to California (one in which I had promised recipes to my newly married cousin Vera), I vowed it was time to begin blogging. Not very original perhaps, but it certainly gives me a better way to save, and share, my recipes (not all of which are mine...)

Having woke at 3am in Los Angeles for my flight home, finally stumbling in the door at 10pm I had stopped at the grocery store and bought a cheap cut of boneless blade roast thinking pot roast would be the perfect quick and easy supper while suffering from sleep deprivation and jet lag. Then I wondered how I would prepare it, since I can never do anything the "simple" way. Browsing blogs began, and after taking inspiration from several, combining or omitting ingredients as I wished, here is what I settled on.

Beer Braised Beef

1 3-4 pound Beef Blade Roast (or chuck, anything suitable for pot roast)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Butter
3 Onions, quartered
6 cloves Garlic, halved
2 1/2 cups Dark Ale
1 cup Beef Broth
1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Mustard Powder
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 Bay Leaves
3-4 sprigs Fresh Thyme
5-6 Potatoes, peeled and quarted
3-4 Carrots, peeled and rough chopped
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large oven proof pot heat oil and butter. Season roast with salt and pepper on all sides and sear in hot oil until browned nicely on all sides. Remove to plate. Add onions and garlic to pot and cook for 5 - 7 minutes until golden.
Add beer, beef broth, vinegar and worcestershire sauce to pot. Scrape browned bits up from bottom of pan. Add paprika and mustard powder. Heat liquid to a simmer and return beef to pot. Add vegetables, thyme and bay leaves. Cover pot and place in oven.
Cook for 2 hours. Remove from oven and remove beef to cutting board, cover to keep warm. Strain liquid and skim excess fat. Bring to boil and thicken for gravy with 2-3 Tbsp Corn Starch whisked into 1/4 cup water.

Serves 5-6