why it works
- Cutting the chuck in half to create two thin steaks speeds up the frying process.
- Gelatin adds body to the sauce.
- Braising boneless chuck roast slowly in a Dutch oven with the lid cracked ensures that the braise maintains a simmer, preventing the roast from getting too hot and overcooking.
Winter may seem dark and dreary, but I have a soft spot for January and February. This is the only time of year when it’s cold enough for me to cook something on the stove for several hours without turning my house into a sauna. This makes dinner prep much easier: Instead of trying to get dinner in my kitchen in 30 minutes at 6 p.m., I can leisurely start a soup, stew, or braise earlier in the day, then finish it off. Can let it cook on a large scale without paying attention. One of the easiest meals to prepare this way is Mississippi pot roast: a spicy, flavorful chuck roast that’s usually accompanied by a packet of ranch seasoning, au jus gravy mix, a stick of butter, and a handful of jar pepperoncini. The meat is prepared by slow cooking it. ,
The dish reportedly has its roots in Ripley, Mississippi; According to Sam Sifton, former deputy dining editor of new York TimesThe Mississippi Roast came to fame when a woman named Robin Chapman shared her recipe with a friend, Karen Farese, who later contributed it to her church’s community cookbook. “Early on and very recently, large numbers of people began sharing images and recipes on Pinterest and Reddit, Facebook and Twitter,” Sifton wrote. new York Times In 2016. According to Google data, searches for the term “Mississippi Roast” have increased steadily over the past 14 years, with searches peaking in January 2022.
It’s no wonder home cooks have taken to roast beef: It’s extremely simple, and most iterations of the dish require nothing more than a chuck roast, a few shelf-stable packaged ingredients, and a slow cooker. . Although store-bought products are readily available, we were curious to see how much more delicious a made-from-scratch version cooked on the stovetop could be. With that in mind, our Birmingham, Alabama-based Test Kitchen collaborator Elizabeth Mervosh decided to develop the best Mississippi pot roast recipe—one that requires no more effort than the basic slow-cooker version, but is just as (If not even more!) Delicious. Here’s how he did it.
Shell your beef—but cut it in half first
Searing is one of the easiest ways to flavor meat; The high heat initiates the Maillard reaction – a series of chemical reactions that occur when heat alters the proteins and sugars in food, resulting in more complex flavors and aromas. One of the best reasons to cook this dish on the stove instead of in a slow cooker is that you can sear it (while some slow cookers have a sear function, not all do – and the sear function doesn’t always work well. (Who has it.) Because browning a three-pound piece of beef can be a cumbersome task, our recipe calls for cutting the roast into two steaks before roasting. Not only does this make the beef easier to work with, but it also speeds up the cooking time and, more importantly, it maximizes the surface area for browning – and therefore the flavor. Development takes place.
Serious Eats / Fred Hardy
add a little gelatin
For a sauce with a thicker consistency, Mervosh fortifies the broth with gelatin. It’s a trick from a former Serious Eats editor kenzie and our current editorial director Daniel Use in some recipes including All-American Beef Stew And Shepherd’s pieTo thicken the sauce without drastically altering its flavor. “I’ve always had this one complaint with this dish: The beef is very rich, but the sauce usually has a watery texture,” Mervosh writes in his testing notes for this recipe. Transforming a soupy sauce into a velvety sauce requires a few tablespoons of powdered gelatin that is thick enough to cover a spoon.
don’t overcook it
Another good reason to choose the stovetop rather than the slow cooker for this recipe is to reduce the risk of overcooking the meat and making it tough and dry. A long, slow braise can yield tender meat, but it Is It’s possible to overcook your beef—even if you choose the stovetop instead of a slow cooker. “When cooking meat, you are playing a racing game between two processes occurring simultaneously,” Kenji wrote in his letter. beef stew recipe“First there is the conversion of the connective tissues into gelatin. This softens the meat and makes it moist. On the other hand, the muscle proteins constantly contract and squeeze out internal moisture. This softens the meat and makes it tough. Is.” His and Mervosh’s solution is to crack the lid during cooking, which keeps the temperature constant and keeps the stew from getting too hot.
Serious Eats / Fred Hardy
Recreate the flavor of ranch with buttermilk and fresh dill
Instead of prepared farm seasoning, we include fresh dill and whole buttermilk (essential ingredients) Classic Ranch Dressing) in the pot, which gives the dish a spicy, tangy flavor. We add the buttermilk last and to keep the dairy from curdling, we temper the dairy with some of the hot braising liquid. Curds can curdle when rapid changes in temperature occur, and tempering is a technique that helps reduce this: To temper, you whisk a small amount of hot liquid into cold dairy or eggsBefore pouring that tempering mixture back into a larger pot of hot liquid, heat them through.
Serious Eats / Fred Hardy
Mississippi pot roast is a great winter dish no matter where you live, and with just a few changes, this easy meal can be even more delicious.
The recipe was developed by Elizabeth Mervosh; The headnote was written by Genevieve Yam.
This spin on Mississippi pot roast is really delicious — and it doesn’t require a slow cooker
cook mode
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One 3 pounds (1360 grams) boneless chuck roastexcess fat reduced
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1 small spoon diamond crystal kosher saltFor table salt, use half the recommended amount
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1 small spoon ground black pepper
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2 tablespoons ,30ml, canola oil
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4 cup ,946ml, Unsalted Chicken Stock
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Two 1/4-ounce packets unflavored Gelatin ,16YesAbout this 5 1/2 spoon,
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5 medium garlic cloves ,25Yes), broke and peeled
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1 small bunch fresh dill ,14Yes), reserve 1 tablespoon (2 g) chopped dill for garnish
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6 medium jardar Pepperoncini salad black pepperS (3 1/2 ounce, 100Yes), washed, plus 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of liquid from the jar, divided
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1/2 cup (120ml) whole buttermilk
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Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position, and preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Place chuck roast on a cutting board, flat side down; Cut in half horizontally to make 2 steaks. Season with salt and pepper all over. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working with one piece at a time, sear the seared chuck steak until deeply browned on both sides, 5 to 8 minutes per side, reducing heat as needed to prevent overbrowning. Transfer chuck roast to a 9 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Remove Dutch oven from heat, and carefully pour drippings into a small heatproof bowl to cool; discard.
Serious Eats / Fred Hardy
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While browning, pour the stock into a large bowl and sprinkle with the gelatin. Let stand until completely hydrated, about 10 minutes.
Serious Eats / Fred Hardy
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Add gelatin mixture, garlic and dill to Dutch oven. Return chuck roast steak and any accumulated juices to Dutch oven. Top with pepperoncini peppers. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, leaving lid slightly ajar (about 1/2-inch), and roast until roast is fork-tender, 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours. Carefully transfer roast to work surface; Using 2 forks, shred into large pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat.
Serious Eats / Fred Hardy
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Place Dutch oven with liquid over medium heat and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring constantly, until slightly reduced, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in pepperoncini liquid.
Serious Eats / Fred Hardy
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In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk and 1/2 cup hot braising liquid from the Dutch oven until well mixed. Whisk buttermilk mixture into remaining braising liquid in Dutch oven. Return the shredded corn to the Dutch oven, and stir to combine. Garnish with chopped dill.
Serious Eats / Fred Hardy
special equipment
large dutch oven
Make-Ahead and Storage
Mississippi Roast can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 4 days. To reheat, drain off any solidified fat, then gently reheat in a 300ºF (148ºC) oven or gently simmer over low heat until heated through.
Leftover meat and braising liquid can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Keep in the refrigerator overnight.