Today is an AMAZING day! The sun is out, the snow is melted, it's 70* and I am on my porch, drinking coffee and blogging! WOW! I have missed this! Another reason that this is such a great day is because I spent the morning getting creative in my kitchen. In January, we purchased a deep freezer and a 1/4 of beef. I am so blessed to say that I have more red meat than I know that to do with. This has allowed me to play around little though, and tonight's meal is the result of that.
I know many of us make and love pot roast. It is simple to prepare, hearty, and you can put it in the crock-pot in the morning and be eating when you get home. Yes, pot roast is an American staple. I don't know about you though, but sometimes, I get tired of the same old pot roast. So tonight, I decided to spice things up a bit and make a Tex-Mex Pot Roast. I was sure no one had ever heard of this before, but I Googled it, and sure enough...it was there. HOWEVER, no one, that I saw, is making it like this. And did I mention I am going to get THREE DIFFERENT meals out of this? So here it is...MY Tex-Mex Pot Roast!
Tex-Mex Pot Roast:
*Prep Time: 10 minutes *Cook Time: 8 hours *Difficulty: Easy *Servings: 4-6
Here is what you will need:
Tools you will need:
- Slow Cooker
- Chef's Knife
- Baking Sheet
- Sieve
- Bowl
- or Fat Separator
- Forks
Let's get the Tex-Mex Roast Rollin'!
To begin, you will want to season BOTH sides of the roast generously with salt and pepper.
Look at that beautiful bone in the center of my roast. Oh the scrumptious flavor that little guy is going to add!
If your roast doesn't have one, don't' worry about it. This is from the 1/4 beef we purchased. Most grocery store roasts will not have it. :)
After the roast is seasoned, add 3-4 tbsp. of oil to a pan and heat it up over a high heat.
When the skillet is SCREAMING HOT, sear the roast for two minutes on each side. This helps to seal in moisture and add extra flavor.
You don't have to sear your roast, but I just don't know why you wouldn't.
Once the meat is seared, place it in your slow cooker.
Then, in the skillet, that is still over the fire, add your beer or beef broth.
Using a wooden spoon or your tongs, scrap up all the lovely brown bits from the bottom of your pan.
Then pour over the roast in your slow cooker.
What you have done is called deglazing and you have created some SERIOUSLY GREAT flavor!
Now you will need to slice the onion.
Place it in your slow cooker, over the roast.
Add the herbs and spices.
Add the orange juice.
Add the Ro-Tel tomatoes and mix around a bit.
Cover the slow cooker, turn on low, and allow to cook for 6-8 hours.
6-8 hours later you will have this luscious hot tub of flavor!
Remove the roast to a baking sheet. It will be tender, so it is okay if it falls apart.
Using two forks, gently shred your roast.
I would HIGHLY recommend trying a piece. The flavor is out of this world!
YUM!
This next step is not necessary, but I prefer to do this.
Strain the liquid from the slow cooker into a bowl, using a sieve to catch all the vegetables.
For me, they have done their job and I am finished with them. Feel free to add them back to the slow cooker if you like though.
You will need to allow the liquid to set for a moment and give the fat a chance to rise to the top of the bowl. Skim off.
OR
You can use a fat separator, as I have in the photo above.
Return the shredded roast and as much liquid as you would like back to the slow cooker and there you have it! This will be great in tacos, quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas, or simply with a side of beans and rice! It is so versatile! You could even make chili using this method of braising your beef! How delicious would that be!?! Try this out and let me know what you think! I would love to see your pictures on my Facebook page, and as always...
Happy Reading, Happy Eating, and Happy Living,
~The Kitchen Wife~
YUUUUMMMY!!!! :D
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