My Motto

May the muffin rise to greet you, may your friends be always at your door, and until we meet again, warm a single-malt in the palm of your hand and make something homemade for someone you love.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Spicy New England Pot Roast

“Smell brings to mind... a family dinner of pot roast and sweet potatoes during a myrtle-mad August in a Midwestern town. Smells detonate softly in our memory like poignant land mines hidden under the weedy mass of years.” 
~Diane Ackerman 


This unique version of a beefy classic intrigued me with it's ease and addition of cranberry sauce and horseradish.  The result was a great sweet and sour vibe which we all enjoyed.  It really worked.  Since the juices are not the traditional savory gravy usually served with pot roast, I opted against serving it with mashed potatoes and served it instead with mashed turnip, which can stand on it's own, maybe with a pat a melting butter, no gravy needed.  I'm making all the long-cooking meals I can before spring arrives and my palate turns to the grill and the fabulous in-season vegetables and fruits that will begin to arrive at the market.

Spicy New England Pot Roast
(from The Essential NY Times cookbook)


3 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
One 4-pound boned and tied arm, blade, or bottom round roast
3 tablespoons bacon drippings or vegetable oil
1/2 cup freshly grated horseradish  or drained prepared horseradish (4-ounce jar)
1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
1 cinnamon stick, broke in two
4 whole cloves
1 cup beef broth
16 small white onions (you can use jarred or frozen)
1bunch carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths


1. Mix the flour with the salt and pepper.  Dredge the meat in the flour, rubbing the mixture into all the surfaces.
2. Heat the drippings in a Dutch oven or other heavy casserole and brown the meat very well on all sides over high heat.  Drain off drippings.
3. Mix together the horseradish, cranberry sauce, cinnamon, cloves, and broth and add to the meat.
4. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 4 hours.  For the last hour, add carrots and onions.  Before serving, remove roast to a platter and cover with foil.  Pour drippings into a pitcher, drain off any fat from the top, and serve.

4 comments:

Anna Johnston said...

Love the sound of this.... cranberry & horseradish..., kind of unique huh. Will definatly be making this in our cooler weather., looks amazing.

Margaret Murphy Tripp said...

@Anna...it is unique and we all enjoyed it. Not your typical pot roast...it reminded me a bit of brisket, but it was good! Thanks for your sweet comment.

Vaunda said...

I made it today and we haven't eaten it yet. I added a bit of wine vinegar to the gravy. I made mashed potatoes with cream cheese and sour cream as substitute for butter; garlic-herb seasoning. (we had only 12 oz of noodles) I thickened the gravy with cornstarch. Baby greens salad and dessert of spring strawberries, angel food cake and real whipped cream. I want to spike the strawberries just a bit before I serve them. (family meal, ages 11-??) thank you for your comments. I sought the recipe because I wanted to make a bottom round roast lovely for a family meal.

Margaret Murphy Tripp said...

@Vaunda: Thank you so much for taking the time to tell me. I'm so happy you tried it, and hope very much you and your family enjoy the meal!