Chuck Roast
- Take medium to large onion and some celery tops, chop it up and brown in oil in a large cast iron pot/dutch oven. If you burn it slightly don't worry about it. Remove them from the pot when the onions are soft.
- 3 to 4 pound chuck roast. Salt and pepper both sides and on medium high heat sear both sides. Add oil to the pan if necessary, you don't need a lot. You can take it to the point it's getting really dark and almost burnt. I take this to the next step and sear all the edges too.
- Remove the roast from pan, turn the heat to high and pour about 1/2 cup of hot water into the pan. Scrape around the pan a little with wooden spoon, spatula or whatever.
- Remove pan from the heat and put the roast back in the pan. Add enough water so it's almost covering the roast.
- Add the onion/celery mixture to the sides of the pan. Add some small whole portabella mushrooms, teaspoon of minced garlic, salt, pepper and a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce.
- Cover and cook in the oven for 3 1/2 to 4 hours on 220.
- Remove the roast from the pan and set on dish, cover with aluminum foil. You will probably need a really large spatula for this operation because it will be falling apart.
- Drain the liquid from the pan through a strainer into a bowl, pick out the mushrooms. Gently mash what is left to get as much liquid as possible into the bowl.
- Chop the mushrooms and return them and the liquid to the pan. Bring to a boil.
- Slowly whisk two tablespoons of dissolved cornstarch into the liquid. If you are unfamiliar with using cornstarch you need to dissolve it in a little cold water first. Just put it in a little bowl and mix it with the cold water. If the gravy is too thin, add some more cornstarch mixture.
- Test the gravy to make sure it's salted enough.
- If you are a male, married and do not cook serve to your wife and you can send the check to....
Baby Back Ribs
- Take a cookie sheet large enough to fit the rack and put apiece of aluminum foil to cover cookie sheet. Take another piece of aluminum foil double the size of the cookie sheet and put half of it on the cookie sheet. .
- Spread your favorite pork rub over the ribs. If does not have brown sugar in it spread that over ribs too, might be like half a cup. Salt and pepper depending on the pork rub.
- Place the ribs on the foil and pinch up the aluminum foil to form a boat. Preferably you want to do this the night before but at least one hour before you cook them.
- Right before adding to the oven put half a cup of apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup water in the boat and use the extra flap of aluminum to tightly cover them.
- Bake in the oven on 220 for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
- Remove from the oven and drain the liquid from the boat into a frying pan.
- Reduce liquid until it's thick and gooey. Spread over the top of the ribs.
- Place under the ribs under broiler until the edges get that slight burn, careful here, you are seconds from disaster because the sugar can burn really quickly
- Remove and eat.