Pot roasts. brown them. brown the living heck out of them.
I’ve been playing around with simple stocks a lot lately and noting how subtle variations in technique make big differences in the final product. Chicken stock for instance can start with chicken and vegetables covered with cold water, and simmered till done. The resulting stock has a light and bright chicken flavor that I like in clear chicken soups.
Take those same ingredients and sauté them before you add the water, and the resulting caramels, and browned meat yield a rich, deep, and more complex stock. It’s not better or worse, it’s just different, and lends itself to different applications. This stock, reduced down by half, makes a killer pan sauce when you’re cooking meat on the stove top.
The more you brown your meat, the more you can increase those deep intense qualities. This is why when I’m making pot roast, I’ll brown a 4 pound rump for nearly an hour. It sounds like a long time, but ten minutes on each of its six sides produces a thick, dark mahogany crust that will help flavor anything that joins the pot. After the roast is done, I’ll strain my braising liquid and reduce it till it coats a spoon before waking it up with a little acid. Potatoes don’t stand a chance when drizzled with sauces like these.
Pot Roast
