Main Dish

Rustic Pot Roast- an easy Italian roast

Stevens Catering had the opportunity to cater the annual Lufkin Landscape Taskforce Dinner several times. It was a fundraiser that always had a food theme. This particular year was Italian, so the committee and I had the challenge of developing a menu with an Italian theme. They wanted to stay away from the traditional tomato based entrees, so this is a version I developed from the recipe they gave me. Rustic Pot Roast was so good and easy, we continued to serve it at events. It can be served over polenta or mashed potatoes. We loved it served over Decadent Mashed Potatoes. And the gravy it makes– it is to die for!

Mirepoix

Rustic Pot Roast starts with a mirepoix or Holy Trinity. It is a mixture of grated onion, carrots and celery used in French and Cajun cooking. It is a great source of flavor.

Trimming and Seasoning

Place trimmed brisket in an aluminum pan and cover with sliced bacon. Generously salt and pepper.

Wine for Marinating

Add the mirepoix to the brisket and top with 1/2 bottle of Chianti Wine. Thus, baking will cook off the alcohol leaving only that tremedous flavor.

Garlic and Herbs, Marinating and Baking

Add the garlic and several sprigs of rosemary. Cover with foil and place in the refrigerator to marinate overnight. The next day place the pan in a 300 degree oven and bake for 4 to 5 hours until the brisket is fork tender.

Serving

To serve, remove the sprigs of rosemary and slice the brisket across the grain to increase tenderness and avoid stringiness. The slow baking allows the mireproix and bacon to cook down along with the wine into a creamy sauce perfect for serving over the meat or with potatoes.

The recipe calls for a 3 pound brisket. Ours was very large therefore we doubled the recipe. The alcohol cooks out of the wine, so feel free to serve the broth as a sauce over the meat. Enjoy!

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Rustic Pot Roast

a brisket slow roasted until fork tender
Course Entree, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword bacon, brisket, Chanti Wine, mira poix, pot roast, slow roasting
Servings 10
Author stevens1951

Equipment

  • large roaster
  • aluminum foil for lid
  • food processor with a grater blade

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds brisket trimmed
  • 1 bottle Chianti Wine
  • 4 ounces bacon
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 3 each yellow onions
  • 4 each carrots medium
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Trim the brisket by cutting off the large chunks of fat. Use the fat to make a delicious broth. Place the brisket in the roaster pan.
  • Prepare the mirepoix by grating the onions, celery, carrots and garlic in a food processor.
  • Place strips of bacon on the brisket. Salt and pepper generously.
  • Cover the brisket with the mirepoix. Lay sprigs of rosemary on top and add at least 1/2 bottle of Chianti Wine to marinate the brisket.
  • Cover with a lid or foil and place overnight in the refrigerator to marinate.
  • The next day, place brisket in a 300 to 350 degree oven. Slow roasting adds flavor. Cook until tender, about 4 to 5 hours or until fork tender.
  • To serve, remove rosemary and slice brisket across the grain. Serve over polenta or mashed potatoes.

This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links, at no cost to you. Products are examples of what I own or what I recommend in order to help you make the best choice for you. The Waring Food Processor is the brand I use. I broke many center posts for the blade and finally realized I needed an all metal food processor. If you don’t use one that much, you can always hand grate or use a less expensive food processor. Thank you for your support.

    Jambalaya

    James and I met the nicest family while fishing at Taneycomo in Branson, Missouri. On the first day, Percy didn’t hesitate to share his fishing spot and tackle. Saved us a ton of time. We spend half the week just finding the fish. We fished everyday and got our limit almost daily.

    Percy and his family were staying in the cabins next to us. One day we were drawn outside by the most wonderful smell. I am all about cooking, and when I found out he was from Baton Rouge, Louisiana I knew he was someone I could learn from.

    Jambalaya was on the menu today. I found out that he has competed with his recipe and he knew all the “ins and outs” about it. I’m still listening, taking pictures and soaking it all in.

    Percy starts by browning the meat until it is tender and cuts easy
    Once you add the water, taste for seasonings. The color of the water will be the color of the rice- nice and brown.
    Once the rice is added, the Jambalaya is stirred until it starts to thicken.
    Reduce the fire to low and put a lid on the pot.
    Percy is a true Cajun, understanding the importance of developing flavor by browning, scraping and deglazing.

    I wasn’t there for the finished product, but we got a large plate later and it was so good- simple yet full of flavor. And i learned about the rice that browns and sticks on the bottom of the pan that a lot of people like. I loved it, it adds to the texture and flavor of the dish.

    His recipe serves 12, so I halved it for you and surprisingly, it turned out great! Enjoy and thanks Percy for sharing.

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    Jambalaya

    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Cajun
    Keyword Boston butt, rice, sausage
    Servings 9
    Author Percy Brown

    Equipment

    • Bayou cast iron pot with lid
    • large paddle for stirring
    • outdoor fish fryer

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds long grain white rice (can use parboiled rice)
    • 6 pounds meat (4 lbs. Boston butt & 2 lbs. smoked sausage)
    • 6 cups water (a little under 1 gallon per 5# of rice if doing a bigger pot)
    • 4 pounds chopped yellow onions
    • 7 teaspoons salt
    • 1 tablespoon black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
    • 5 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 cup vegetable oil
    • Hot sauce to taste

    Instructions

    • Slice smoked sausage into about 1” slices and cube the Boston butt into about 2” cubes
    • Pour the vegetable oil into a black iron pot
    • Heat the oil up in the black iron pot then add the cubed Boston butt
    • Brown the Boston butt until it is tender and you can cut it with a spoon (make sure that you do not burn the meat so you will need to do a lot of stirring while it is browning)
    • Once the Boston butt is good and brown, remove it and put it into a separate pan then put the sausage in and brown the sausage then remove and set into a pan.
    • After removing the sausage, scoop out the remaining oil in the pot and put the chopped onions in.
    • Brown the onions until they are a caramel color and tender. When you stir the onions make sure that you get the residue off the side of the pot that the meat left behind, you can use a little water to help by pouring it around the sides.
    • Once the onions are browned and tender add the pork and sausage then stir together.
    • Add water and seasoning in with the meat and onions. This is when you want to taste it and add more ingredients if you need to. The color of the water will be the same color of your rice when it is finished.
    • Bring the water to a rolling boil and dump the rice in. Stir the rice in the boiling water until it starts to thicken.
    • Reduce your fire to low and put the lid on the pot
    • Remove the lid and flip the rice about every 15 minutes until the rice is tender. (Try not to scrape the bottom of the pot when flipping the rice)
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    Jambalaya Half recipe

    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Cajun
    Keyword Boston butt, rice, sausage
    Total Time 2 hours
    Servings 6
    Author Percy Brown

    Equipment

    • cast iron Dutch oven with lid

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound long grain white rice can use parboiled rice
    • 3 pounds meat 2# Boston butt &1# smoked sausage
    • 4 cups water
    • 2 pounds chopped yellow onions
    • 3 1/2 tsp of salt
    • 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
    • 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
    • 2 1/2 tsp garlic powder
    • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
    • Hot sauce to taste

    Instructions

    • Slice smoked sausage into about 1” slices and cube the Boston butt into about 2” cubes
    • Pour the vegetable oil into a black iron pot
    • Heat the oil up in the black iron pot then add the cubed Boston butt
    • Brown the Boston butt until it is tender and you can cut it with a spoon (make sure that you do not burn the meat so you will need to do a lot of stirring while it is browning)
    • Once the Boston butt is good and brown, remove it and put it into a separate pan then put the sausage in and brown the sausage then remove and set into a pan.
    • After removing the sausage, scoop out the remaining oil in the pot and put the chopped onions in.
    • Brown the onions until they are a caramel color and tender. When you stir the onions make sure that you get the residue off the side of the pot that the meat left behind, you can use a little water to help by pouring it around the sides.
    • Once the onions are browned and tender add the pork and sausage then stir together.
    • Add water and seasoning in with the meat and onions. This is when you want to taste it and add more ingredients if you need to. The color of the water will be the same color of your rice when it is finished.
    • Bring the water to a rolling boil and dump the rice in. Stir the rice in the boiling water until it starts to thicken.
    • Reduce your fire to low and put the lid on the pot
    • Remove the lid and flip the rice about every 15 minutes until the rice is tender. (Try not to scrape the bottom of the pot when flipping the rice)

    This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links, at no cost to you. Products are examples of what I own or what I recommend in order to help you make the best choice for you. The first four items are similar to what Percy used for the 12 cup recipe. I halved the recipe and used a dutch oven as shown in the last picture. Thank you for your support.

      Mexican Pizza

      This recipe was used for a unit on food for children. It is quick and easy enough for children. I often used it for a quick meal at home.

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      Quick Mexican Pizza

      This is a perfect kid recipe.
      Course Main Course
      Cuisine Mexican
      Keyword cheese, flour tortilla, hamburger meat
      Servings 4 people

      Ingredients

      • 2 cups 8 oz/ shredded Colby/Monterey Jack cheese
      • 2 lb. ground beef
      • 4 flour tortillas 10 in.
      • 1/4 cup salsa
      • 1 /2 tsp. Chili powder
      • 2 tsp. Cumin
      • green/red peppers onions, mushrooms, etc. (as desired)

      Instructions

      • Cook meat, drain. Stir in chili powder and cumin seasonings. Spread 1/4 cup salsa and 1/2 cups meat mixture on each tortilla. Top each with 1/2 cup cheese and desired toppings. Bake in preheated 400 degree F oven 8-10 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned.

        Bolognese Penne Pasta

        Bolognese is another name for a meat sauce with milk or cream. This recipe develops flavor by reducing the milk and wine while leaving all the flavor. If you turn the heat up and stir constantly, it does not take long and well worth the flavor imparted. I have included two types of pasta; one using regular penne pasta and another low calorie option of pasta made with zucchini and a Veggetti. Topping with Parmesan cheese packs a lot of flavor in one tablespoon. Both are delicious and nice to have as options when trying to reduce calories. Enjoy!

        Bolognese over Pasta
        • Zucchini noodles made with Veggetti
        • Lower calorie Bolognese served over Zucchini noodles
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        Bolognese Meat Sauce

        Course Main Course
        Cuisine Italian
        Keyword heavy cream, meat sauce, pasta
        Servings 4
        Author Sarah Stevens

        Equipment

        • Veggetti for making squash pasta

        Ingredients

        • 1 small yellow onion chopped
        • 1 lb. lean ground beef
        • Black pepper ground fresh from mill
        • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
        • 1 cup skim milk
        • ½ cup red wine
        • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
        • Salt to taste
        • 1 T pesto or Italian Seasonings to taste
        • 1 packet of Truvia Sweetner or 1 T sugar
        • Cooked Zucchini Pasta or regular cooked spaghetti
        • Grated Parmesan Cheese

        Instructions

        • Brown beef and onion on high in heavy bottom pot. Stir until brown and meat begins to stick and brown on sides of pot. Add pepper, red pepper and a pinch of salt.
        • Add the milk and let it simmer until it has evaporated completely. Stir frequently.
        • Add the wine and simmer until evaporated. Stir frequently. Add the tomatoes and stir well. Add pesto and sweetener and salt to taste. When the sauce begins to bubble, turn down heat and simmer for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours to develop flavor. Add ½ cup water if necessary to prevent sticking.
        • Serve over Penne Pasta or Zucchini Pasta made with a Veggeti and topped with Parmesan Cheese

        Zucchini Pasta

        • Make zucchini pasta with Veggetti using one zucchini per person.
        • Place in pasta bowl and microwave for one minute or until desired doneness.
        • Serve Bolognese Sauce over zucchini.

        Notes

        Notes: Milk protects from acidic bite of tomatoes.
        Evaporating the wine retains the flavor but not the alcohol. Can substitute cooking wine but be sure to reduce salt.

        This site contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links, at no cost to you. Products are examples of what I own or what I recommend in order to help you make the best choice for you. Thank you for your support.

          Taco Soup

          • Browning results in caramelization which adds flavor to food
          • Brown until meat starts to stick
          • Add all canned ingredients at once
          • Flavors marry when simmered at least one hour.

          My dear friend, Bootsie, gave me this recipe. There are many Taco Soup recipes, but this one does not have the preservatives of packaged taco seasoning. The recipe calls for several canned ingredients making it fast and easy, but the fresh onions, bell pepper and seasonings give this recipe its fresh flavor. Enjoy!

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          Taco Soup

          Course Main Course
          Cuisine Mexican
          Keyword cherry tomatoes, corn meal, ground beef, Ranch Beans, Veg-All
          Author Bootsie Eakin

          Ingredients

          • 2 to 3 pounds ground beef
          • 1 large onion chopped
          • 1 large green pepper chopped
          • 3 tablespoons chili powder
          • salt and pepper to taste
          • 1 14 oz. Can cream style corn
          • 1 14 oz. Can Ranch Style Beans
          • 1 28 oz. Can tomatoes
          • 2 14 oz. Can Veg-All Mixed Vegetables

          Instructions

          • Brown ground beef, onion and pepper. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until ready to serve. (If in a pinch, you can serve immediately, but it is best to simmer 1 hour.)
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