 A
one-pot meal is perfect for entertaining because it can be prepared
the day before which allows you time to relax with your guests. |
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Comfort in a Pot
A delicious and easy to prepare meal
With the possible exception of bread baking, nothing fills the house with welcoming aromas better than a meat stew like beef bourguignon gently simmering on the stove or lamb shanks with white beans bubbling contentedly in the oven. As the outside temperature plummets, these one-pot dinners warm us to the core and comfort us as no stir-fry can. Meals such as these have another benefit: They cost less money, something that all of us are concerned about in these recessionary times. Don't discount one-pot meals when entertaining, either. In fact, they might be perfect for guests. The pot roast made according to the recipe that follows was as good or better the next day. And while it warms in the oven, you can be in the living room with your guests (instead of running around in the kitchen like hired help).
One-pot meals are cheaper because they use less-expensive cuts of meat, such as breasts and shanks of lamb and veal, stewing meat from the neck and shoulder, chuck roasts and beef briskets. These more sinewy parts of the animal can't be grilled, as far pricier cuts of steak can, or sautéed like scallopini. They need long, slow cooking to soften. But the extra time will be well spent because braised and stewed foods have greater depth of flavor.
Why? Meats such as veal cutlet and filet mignon are cooked with dry, intense heat over short periods of time because they are naturally tender—the result of coming from a part of the animal that gets little exercise. However, the shanks, necks, shoulders and breasts of the beasts get more of a workout. It's that muscle tone that creates real flavor. And as these muscles break down into meltingly delicious morsels, they help to create wonderful sauces and gravies.
In some cases, a traditional recipe can be modified to create a one-pot meal. For example, a traditional pot roast is basically the meat, some liquid and perhaps some onions and seasonings for flavor. For the pot roast recipe below (an adaptation from The Complete Meat Cookbook by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly, Houghton Mifflin Co., 2001), I've added celery, carrots, potatoes and turnips. Likewise, braised lamb shanks are traditionally cooked without vegetables (other than the finely chopped vegetables designed to season the sauce). To make the shanks a one-pot meal, you can adapt a traditional recipe by adding white beans and hearty greens such as Swiss chard. All you need to complete either dish is a loaf of crusty bread to sop up all those glorious juices.
Pot roast and lamb shanks, along with mainstays such as osso buco (veal shanks), are examples of braised dishes. In braised dishes, the meat is browned on the stove top—ideally in a large Dutch oven or similar pot, which will eventually be used for the slow cooking of all the meat, liquid and vegetables. Browning the meat well initially is important because it contributes to color and flavor. My experience is that this step often takes longer than most recipes indicate. Before browning the meat is sometimes dredged in flour, which helps thicken the sauce as it cooks. Or the sauce may be thickened at the end with a butter and flour mixture called beurre manie.
When you combine the meat with seasonings and liquid (usually a combination of broth and wine), make sure the liquid comes no more than halfway up the meat. Too much liquid will give the effect of a soup or stew. Oven braising (at 350° F) cooks a dish more evenly than does stove-top braising, and doesn't require periodic stirring. Halfway through the cooking, beans (in the case of lamb shanks) or hearty winter vegetables (such as a combination of carrots, potatoes and turnips or rutabagas) may be added.
Many recipes will tell you that the meat is ready when it is falling off the bone. Wrong. The meat is done when it is easily pierced by a fork, no more. A lamb shank with meat falling every which way is not very attractive. Overcooked pot roast is unappetizingly stringy.
Stews are cooked similarly to braised dishes except that the meat is cut into bite-size pieces. Also, more liquid is used. Stews are typically cooked on the stove top, though there is no law that says you can't cook them in the oven. Just be sure that the stew merely simmers; boiling can toughen the meat.
Meaty one-pot meals call for hearty, though not necessarily expensive, red wines. With beef bourguignon, for example, a cru Beaujolais, one with some heft, like a Moulin-à-Vent, or a North Coast appellation California Pinot Noir, makes a reasonably priced alternative (for cooking and drinking) to the traditional match of red Burgundy. For lamb shanks, I'd go with a simple, rough-hewn Côtes du Rhône or a Southern Italian red like Aglianico. Try a sturdy Zinfandel with that pot roast.
When it comes to cutting costs with one-pot meals, don't forget that time is also money. So if you're hankering to make cassoulet, it's not really necessary to set aside an entire weekend to do it. One big time-saver is using canned beans instead of dried beans, which require soaking prior to cooking. Another is using cured sausages and leftover lamb, pork, duck or goose.
Finally, just because a recipe calls for a specific ingredient doesn't mean you can't employ creative substitutes. For example, try using wild mushrooms instead of the traditional button mushrooms for beef bourguignon. Instead of celery, why not put fennel in the pot roast? You could also give the stew or braised dish an Asian touch with star anise or ginger. After all, one-pot meals don't have to be one-dimensional.
Pot Roast
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• One 3 to 4 pound boneless chuck roast
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large onions, sliced (about 3 cups)
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 pound small potatoes, unpeeled but well-scrubbed
• 1 pound turnips, halved or quartered, depending on size
• 6 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Beurre Manie
• 1 tablespoon softened butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
Combine the thyme, rosemary, paprika, salt and pepper and rub the meat
thoroughly with the mixture. Marinate the roast at room temperature
for 1 hour or wrap and refrigerate overnight (bring to room temperature
before cooking).
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Heat the oil in a casserole with a cover or in a Dutch oven, and brown the meat well on all sides.
Remove the meat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook just until lightly browned. Add the wine and beef broth. Bring to a boil over high heat, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Return the meat to the pot. Add the bay leaves, cover and bake in the oven 1 hour.
Uncover, turn the meat over and add the carrots, potatoes, turnips and celery. Cover and cook another 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat can easily be pierced with a fork and the vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, make the beurre manie by using a fork to incorporate the flour into the butter in a small bowl.
Remove the meat and vegetables to a platter and cover with foil. Put the pot over medium heat. Whisk in the beurre manie, and bring to a boil. While the sauce thickens, cut the meat into generous slices. Spoon the sauce over the meat, and serve with the vegetables. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Serves 6.