Eatin' on the Cheap

It seems like folks these days are so interested in quick and easy that they forget how delicious slow and steady can be. Don’t get me wrong. Quick and easy plays a significant roll in my nightly dinner line up. We often have less than an hour to cook, eat, and get ready to go to some extracurricular activity after the kids get off the bus. Often we all leave the house early in the morning and don’t even get home until after dark. So, I get it. We are all busy.

But some days  are not as busy as others. Sometimes we find ourselves actually home during the day. These days are usually spent catching up on laundry or yard work and having a little family time together. I love these days. On those days, I may never get out of my sweatpants or put on a bra. I can plan a dinner that takes hours to cook knowing that the result will be absolutely phenomenal. I wish I had more of those days. On those beautiful, rare, slow days I love to make pot roast.

I have pretty strong feelings about pot roast. Pot roast, in my opinion, should never be made in a crock pot. It should only be made in a large, heavy, dutch oven either on stovetop or in the oven. Not in a crock pot where the very life of something that should be delicious is sucked out and evaporated into the ether. I am very fortunate to have a good friend, Maria, who is of the same mind set and recently bestowed upon me her very large cast iron roaster/camping grill. This thing weighs a ton and I have to store it in the utility room because it won’t fit in my 1950′s cabinets. I can’t think of a better pan to make pot roast in ( or braise a duck or turkey). If you don’t have the world’s largest and heaviest pot, use whatever you have that is close. You don’t want the liquid to evaporate out of this dish. You want all of that juicy goodness to stay in.

It’s cold and wet and dreary way down here in Georgia. Weather like this just makes me want to put on my sweatpants and curl up on the couch with a good book. And I would if my sweatpants were clean and my kids could entertain themselves for an hour or two. I guess laundry is high on the list of things to do today. At least the dryer will keep the house warm.

Cold, wet, and dreary also means it is perfect weather for chili. I adore chili. It’s hearty and warm and filling and fairly healthy. Unless, of course, you top it with lots of cheese and Fritos. Which is my favorite way to eat chili.  If you haven’t tried it, trust me. Fritos were made for chili.

Seasoning is also really important to a successful chili.  I mean like, really important.  Luckily, it’s pretty easy to develop a lot of flavor in a pot of chili. There is one big secret though… cocoa powder. I know! It’s crazy!  But think about it, if spicy chilies go great in chocolate bars, chocolate must go well in chili. Unsweetened of course. It makes all the difference.

Chili

1 T oil

2 pounds ground chuck

1 medium onion chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 ( 15 oz.) cans of stewed tomatoes

2 ( 15 oz.) cans of red kidney beans

1/2 cup water

Cheddar cheese and Fritos to serve

Seasoning Mix:

3 T chili powder

2 T cumin

1 T cocoa

2 t. salt

1/2 T ground coriander

1/2 T oregano

1 t. ground Ancho chili powder ( or chipotle chili powder)

Pinch of cayenne

In a large heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion to the pot and saute for 5 minutes until tender. Add pepper and saute for another 5 minutes.

Add beef to the pot and cook until browned. Drain the fat and return beef mixture to the pot.

Add the seasoning mix to the pot and stir for 30 seconds.

Add tomatoes and beans and water to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Serve with cheese and Fritos.

I will admit that I did not actually cook this meal. My husband did. I had all the stuff, I had the plan to cook this, but I did not cook this. This particular day I was very tired and very full of snot and just getting over the wicked cold that we have all had since before Thanksgiving. So I begged and pleaded and made promises I couldn’t keep so that the hubby would make dinner. And he did and it was wonderful. The recipe comes from a new cookbook I have, The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever. It’s a really simple recipe, but if you aren’t feeling the need to make your own sauce, you could probably use a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce instead. You can also put this in the crock-pot on low for about 6-8 hours.

3 lbs boneless country-style ribs
2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
3 T lemon juice
1 T prepared mustard
A few drops of Tabasco
A few drops liquid-smoke1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 325, seperate ribs into 3-4 inch pieces. Sprinkle salt into heavy skillet or wok over high heat. Add ribs in batches. Brown on all sides. Put ribs in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Pour off all but 2 T. fat from the skillet. Add onions to skillet and saute over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook until sauce is slightly thickened and the consistency of ketchup. Spoon over ribs. Bake uncovered, for 1 1/2 – 2 hours or until ribs are tender. Baste a couple of times while cooking. Serve.

Note: If you use country-style bone-in ribs you might need to cook for a little longer in order to achieve tenderness.

One of the most overlooked best buys in the grocery store has to be turkey legs. Turkey legs are usually only seen on the dinner table connected to the rest of the bird during the holidays, but they are available year round in the meat department. They are usually very cheap and are a wonderful change from chicken or beef. This recipe is one I found in Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook and I have used it many times. My husband loves it because it involves gravy and I love it because it’s really easy. It makes a very impressive dish for company. I actually made 6 turkey legs with this recipe. Turkey legs do have a lot of cartilage in them so I recommend you pick it off the bone for young children.

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
4 turkey Legs
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup carrots, sliced 1/2″ thick
1/3 cup celery, 1/2″ thick
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
3-4 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs ( I used Basil, Rosemary and Oregano)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. heavy cream or unsalted butter ( optional, I used butter)
Rice, couscous, or mashed potatoes to serve

In large heavy skillet, melt butter and olive oil over medium high heat. Brown turkey legs and transfer to crock pot. Add onion, celery, garlic and carrots to the skillet and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add wine and bring to a boil make sure to scrape up any brown bits. Let wine reduce for 2-3 minutes then add herbs and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer mixture into crock pot, season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high 2-3 hours ( or Low for 4-6 hours).
To finish the gravy: Transfer turkey legs and vegetables to plate when done and cover to keep warm. Pour the sauce through a strainer into a small saucepan and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Stir in cream until it is hot or the butter just until it melts. Serve.