Cooking for only two people can be somewhat of a challenge for people. It took me years to hone the skill. After having cooked for a large family (7 of us) for quite a number of years, it was a struggle for me to teach myself to scale back to only two.
It can be done however and I think I have it down to an art now. Sure there are times when certainly I want to cook for more, but more often than not, that just isn't the case.
If you are only cooking a casserole, that's okay. You can always divide it into two casseroles and freeze one for later on. But when it comes to cooking a joint, it gets a little bit harder.
I have always found that when cooking a large roast for two people alone, you can't get rid of the leftovers quick enough, and cooked beef never quite tastes the same after having been frozen, but perhaps that is just me.
There is nothing much more satisfying than a fall-apart tender meaty pot roast to feed the soul and tummy on a cool autumnal day. This scaled down version of an old family favourite delivers on all levels!
Rolled Beef Brisket is the cut I prefer to use for pot roasts. Its not as fatty as other cuts and it cooks to a beautiful tenderness that we quite enjoy.
The original recipe for this lovely pot roast is one that I got off the back of a packet of dry onion soup mix many moons ago. I have gradually adapted it through the years to suit my family's taste and I believe that it is the best pot roast that you could ever want to make.
Potatoes, carrots and swede (rutabaga) cook along side of the roast in a delicious mix of broth and apple juice, so that when all is said and done, you have your meat and your vegetables done and finished at the same time.
You could also add a peeled and quartered onion along with the other vegetables if you wanted to. I like to cook a green vegetable on the side to add some colour to the plate. Either frozen peas or string beans.
On this day I also did half a recipe of my late father-in-law's Yorkshire Pudding Recipe, which is the perfect Yorkshire Pudding Recipe as far as I am concerned. I cooked half the recipe in a 9 by 12 inch glass baking dish.
I call it Genius Yorkshire Pudding because it cooks up perfectly every single time so long as you follow the directions. You can have it ready to go into the oven when you bring the meat out to rest and it can cook while you cook the gravy. The recipe is here.
Actually you could cook the full recipe if you wanted to because these will freeze quite successfully and then you will have some for another time.
The gravy is also easy to make. You simply shake some flour and water together and whisk it into the pan juices, then cook until it thickens, whisking the whole while. Perfect gravy. I like to add some creamed horseradish because we quite enjoy that flavour, but you don't have to do that if you don't want to.
Yield: Serves 2 (with some leftovers)
Classic Pot Roast for Two
Deliciously tender meat with some veg and a fabulously tasty gravy. Perfectly sized for just two people, with some leftover for a tasty hash, sandwiches or casserole the day after. This is so easy it practically cooks itself.
ingredients:
- 1 (1 1/2 pound) rolled beef brisket
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1/2 small swede (rutabaga) peeled and cut into chunks
- 240ml beef broth (1 cup)
- 240ml apple juice (1 cup)
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp dry thyme leaves
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- pinch of paprika
- 1/2 package dry onion soup mix
- salt and black pepper to taste
For the gravy:
- 3 TBS flour, shaken in 120ml/1/2 cup cold water
- 1/2 TBS creamed horseradish
instructions:
How to cook Classic Pot Roast for Two
- Preheat the oven to 160*C/300*F/ gas mark 3. Have a medium sized flame proof roaster with a tight fitting lid ready.
- Whisk together the beef broth, apple juice, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Set aside.
- Season the roast all over with salt and black pepper. Place into the centre of the roaster. Place the cut up vegetables around the meat in the roaster. in the roaster. Sprinkle the onion soup mix over top of the roast, along with the thyme leaves, garlic powder and paprika. Push the bay leave down the side amidst the vegetables. Pour the apple juice/broth mixture around the roast, covering the vegetables.
- Cover the roasting pan with a sheet of foil, sealing it in tightly. Place the lid on top of the foil. Pop the roaster into the preheated oven and roast for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, at which time the roast should meltingly tender and the vegetables done. (I would check it halfway through the cook time to make sure there is still enough liquid in the dish. If not, top up with some boiling water.) Remove from the oven. Remove the roast and vegetables to a platter and tent lightly while you make the gravy. Discard the bay leaf.
- To make the gravy, place the roasting dish on top of the stove over medium heat. You should have approximately 2 cups of liquid. If you don't, top it up with some more beef broth. Shake together your flour and water and whisk it into the juices along with the creamed horseradish. Cook, whisking constantly, over medium heat, until the mixture bubbles and begins to thicken. Cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes to cook out any flour taste.
- Slice the meat to serve along with a portion of the vegetables and some of the gravy spooned over top. I like to serve with English baby peas on the side. Delicious!
I made a delicious hash with the leftovers yesterday. I just chopped up a small peeled onion, added some chopped cooked potato, the diced leftover beef, a splash Worcestershire sauce and some naughty chopped up Yorkshire pudding. I melted a TBS of butter along with 1 TBS oil in a skillet and added the whole lot and cooked it until we had lots of crispy bits and the whole lot was heated through. (I used a small tin of cooked new potatoes, drained and chopped) Two delicious meals without a lot of effort. I like that!
Up Tomorrow: Fried Egg Grilled Cheese
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