Easy Pot Roast

I was recently sent a hamper from the people at Knorr and challenged to come up with a recipe using their award winning Flavour Pots.  I am no stranger to the Flavour Pots.  I use them all the time and I really love a challenge so for me this was something I really enjoyed doing.   I am not sure how many recipes I am allowed to create, but this is the first one.  I got the hamper on Friday and already I have done the recipe.   Just goes to show you how much I love these flavour pots.



It really was a lovely hamper, containign a multitude of ingredients for my use, not the least of was all of their flavour pots in nine tantalizing flavours.

 

I am not surprised at all that these Flavour Pots collected first prize in the Sauce & Seasoning Category for this years Product of the Year Awards.  These flavour pots allow you to easily infuse your cooking with the flavour of fresh herbs and spices, but with all of the convenience of dried.  I am a big fan of them and use them a lot.   They come in Mixed Herbs, Three Peppercorn, Curry, Garlic, Mixed Chillies, Garden Herbs, Ginger & Lemongrass, Paprika and Mexican.  As you can see quite a variety to cover just about every genre of cooking styles and cultural flavours.  They are very adaptable and like I say I use them frequently.



Today I combined four different ones to create a delicious pot roast.   The wheels started turning for this recipe as soon as the hamper arrived and on Saturday I picked up a nice piece of brisket to use.  

 

I combined one each of the Three Peppercorn, Garlic, Paprika and Garden Herb pots.



Half of this mixture was rubbed all over the brisket.  The other half reserved.

 

I nestled the flavour pot rubbed brisket into a mixture of aromatics . . .  chopped carrots, celery, parsnip, swede and onion . . .  in a heavy oven casserole dish.



The remainder of the flavour pot mixture was whisked into some beef stock along with some balsamic vinegar and poured around the roast in the casserole dish . . .

 

Tightly covered . . .  the meat was roasted in the oven for about 2 1/2 hours until the meat was well flavoured and quite tender, having turned it just the once, halfway through the cooking time.



The end result is a meat which is fork tender and delicious, having taken in some of the flavours from all those flavour pots . . . with a fabulous gravy which has been flavoured not only by the aromatics, but also by the flavour pots.  I did not need to use any additional seasoning for mine.  It was seasoned just perfectly.

 

The gravy was heavenly.   We had it spooned over the meat and the potatoes.  Just lovely.  (I confess . . .  I also dipped a slice of bread in it and enjoyed that too.  I am such a glutton.)  I do hope you will give it a go.  (I have included what I think are excellent substitutions for those of you who cannot get the flavour pots.)

*Easy Pot Roast*
Serves 4

Printable Recipe  

Tender and tasty with a delicious gravy that is fabulous spooned over a nice pile of mash. 

1 kg rolled beef brisket roast (about 2 1/2 pounds)

1 carrot, peeled and sliced

1 parsnip, peeled and sliced

1 onion, peeled and sliced

1 chunk of swede, peeled and cut into smal bits

1 stalk of celery sliced

1 each of Knorr Flavour pots (peppercorn, garlic, paprika, garden herb)

2 cups beef stock

1 TBS good balsamic vinegar

4 TBS plain flour, shaked in a jar with cold water
salt and pepper to taste

 

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F gas mark 4.  Place the vegetables in the bottom of a heavy casserole dish that will hold the pot roast and vegetables snugly.  Whisk together the flavour pots.  Rub approximately half of the mixture all over the roast.  Nestle the roast in amongst the vegetables, making sure some are underneath it and then all around it.   Whisk the remainder of the flavour pots into the beef stock along with the balsamic vinegar.  Pour this mixture around the roast in the pan.  Cover tightly.  Roast in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, turning the roast over halfway through the cooking time.

 

Remove the roast from the oven.  Place the roast on a plate and loosely cover it with foil.  Set aside and keep warm.   Strain the juices from the roasting pan into a clean saucepan.  (If you like you can mash some of the vegetables and add them to the pan also.  They will add even more flavour to the gravy.  I would only add a couple of tablespoons.)  Shake the flour in a jar with some cold water until you have a smooth somewhat liquid paste.   Strain this into the meat juices.  Place over medium high heat and cook, whisking constantly,  until the mixture comes to the boil and begins to thicken.   Allow to simmer over low heat for several minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning as desired with salt and pepper.  This in all likelihood will not be necessary as the flavour pots give the gravy a lovely flavour without it. 

Serve the roast thinly sliced with some of the gravy spooned over top.  We like this with mashed potatoes and a vegetable on the side.  (Today it was carrots/peas and swede)

Note:  I know in North America they cannot get the flavour pots, mores the pity as they are lovely, but in that case mix together the following and rub half on the roast, adding the remainder along with a bay leaf with the stock.

2 TBS parsley flakes, 1 TBS freeze dried chives, 2 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dried tarragon, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 1 TBS tomato paste, 2 cloves of garlic (Peel and mince), 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp coarsly ground black pepper, the zest of 1/2 lemon and 1 TBS olive oil.



Many thanks to the people at Knorr for challenging me to create a new family favorite!