Winter is in the air, and with it a craving for filling, hearty foods. With the change in weather in mind, I was contemplating making a batch of soup when I got the idea of making a pot roast first and turning the “on purpose” leftovers into a mushroom beef barley soup.
It seems to be a universal truth that pot roast tastes better the next day. Because cooking times are extremely variable, I recommend making it the day before, refrigerating and reheating in the cooking liquid. Make the soup immediately after the pot roast is done, or refrigerate the reserved leftover meat, cooking liquid and vegetables and make it within a few days. The soup also can be frozen and saved for some future cold and rainy day.
Serve the pot roast with steamed new potatoes or egg noodles. I like to pass some prepared white parve horseradish sauce or other spicy or sharp condiment.
Leftovers on Purpose Pot Roast
Serves 4 (with leftovers for soup)
31⁄2-lb. boneless chuck roast
1⁄2 tsp. salt, divided
1⁄2 tsp. ground black pepper, divided
2 Tbs. oil
4 cups chopped onion
2 Tbs. finely chopped garlic
3 cups sliced carrots (cut into 1⁄4-inch rounds)
2 cups cut celery (chopped into 1⁄2-inch pieces)
1⁄4 tsp. ground, dried mustard
1⁄4 tsp. ground, dried ginger
1⁄4 tsp. ground, dried thyme
1⁄2 tsp. paprika
2 Tbs. tomato paste
15 oz. can diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 cup red wine
31⁄2 cups sliced brown (cremini) mushrooms (cut 1⁄4-inch thick)
Pat meat dry and rub all over with half of the salt and pepper. Heat oil in large, heavy pot. Brown roast on all sides. Remove from pot. Add onions, cook until softened, stirring up any browned bits from bottom. Stir in garlic, carrots and celery. Stir in mustard, ginger, thyme, paprika and remaining salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and diced tomatoes with juice. Place meat and any accumulated liquid in pot on top of vegetables. Pour red wine over meat.
Simmer, covered, for 40 minutes. Remove meat, stir in mushrooms and replace roast, turning it over. Simmer, covered, stirring and turning meat over every 30 minutes. Cook another 2-4 hours or more as needed until beef is very tender (timing will vary). Remove meat. Taste cooking liquid. Correct seasonings if needed.
Set meat aside to cool slightly. Remove string if chuck roast was tied together. Cut off about a third of the roast. Using 2 forks, shred that third into 2 cups of meat. Set aside for soup. Slice against grain or shred remaining meat to serve as pot roast.
Reserve 2 cups of cooking liquid with vegetables as sauce for the pot roast. Set aside remaining cooking liquid with vegetables (about 5-6 cups) for soup.
Reheat sliced or shredded pot roast in the 2 cups of reserved cooking liquid with vegetables.
Post–Pot Roast Mushroom Beef Barley Soup
Serves 8
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water
2 cups pearl barley
5-6 cups pot roast cooking liquid with vegetables
2 cups shredded pot roast
salt to taste, optional
ground black pepper to taste, optional
In a large pot, bring vegetable stock and water to boil. Add barley. Simmer covered, stirring occasionally, until barley is almost tender, 30 minutes. Stir in cooking liquid with vegetables and shredded meat. Cover and return to simmer until barley is cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste if desired. Add additional water if needed or when reheating.
Faith Kramer is a Bay Area food writer. Her columns alternate with those of Josie A.G. Shapiro. She blogs at www.clickblogappetit.com. Contact her at [email protected].