Pot roast and biking

It is getting easier, but some of that might be that I haven't had another swimming day yet.  Biking today went so well, I accidentally went twice as far as I had scheduled.  I am still very frustrated by the way my bike fits.... or doesn't fit.  But it is too icey out for me to try the newly spiffed up 10 speed.  I think I HATE "comfort" bikes.  It was fine when I bought it;  I loved it.  But at the time I was just recreationally biking and I wasn't towing a bike trailer or going up step freeway overpasses.

I have to find a different general purpose bike.

I am craving protien like never before.  Or at least like never since I stopped breast feeding.


EDIT:  March 22, 2011 After some discussion with friends about slow cooker safety, I have considered pulling this recipe.  However, since this blog is primary for ME to keep track of cooking tricks that have worked, I am leaving it here with some added discussion.  My low on my slow cooker heats to 75 to 80 C.  Bacteria in milk is traditionally Pasteurized at this 71C.  (New ultra high heat Pasteurization is hotter, but that isn't where I'm going with this. )  The theory behind what makes this roast so good is that at this temperature the connective tissue gelatinizes and THAT is what makes the roast so yummy.  It comes out completely cooked with no pink and a safe internal temperature.

However, before you trying this, you really have to know how hot your slow cooker is.  A little research has taught me that "low" is not as low as it used to be.  It can now be as high as 93C.  At that temp your roast is done in about 12 - 18  hours depending on the size.  And it isn't as tender. I suspect this is to avoid lawsuits or something from people trying to cook on low and giving up too soon then eating under cooked food.  I don't want to get sued either, so if you try this, you accept responsibility for making sure you are safe.   

Now a word about the sauce.  The other thing that makes this roast so nice is that you are basically cooking it in rehydration fluid.   The apple juice provide the sweet and the hoisin and montreal steak spice provide the salt.  The trick is to get the sauce to the salty-ness of saline.  This allows the meat to uptake the sauce better, I suspect via osmosis, but I can't prove it.


The goal from all of this is to get a roast that tastes like Granny has been stewing it since yesterday, but on a slow cooker since leaving a stove on that long, especially with at toddler at home, is not advised.  Incidentally, have you ever noticed that slow cookers come with the warning to not leave them unattended?  I thought leaving them unattended was the whole point of a slow cooker.

So, I give you my "Good things come to those who wait" Pot roast:

3 lbs. beef roast
½ cup hoisin sauce
1 cup apple juice
1 spinkle montreal steak spice

1. 36 hours before dinner
2. - brown outside of roast
3. - mix together sauce, juice and spices
4. - place roast into slow cooker and drizzle with sauce mixture
5. - set slow cooker to low and LEAVE it!
6. - after 24 hours the smell with be nearly irresistible, but if you wait you will be rewarded.  You should peek and turn the roast
7. - 20 minute before you are ready to serve, check the temperature with a meat thermometer Make sure you have an minimum internal temperature of 71C before eating beef, cut the power and just let it rest.