Pot Roast
Serves 8
A little pamphlet I found in the Kingston library called Cooking with Red Stripe by Tony Gambrill places Jamaican pot roast in the same family as the classic Belgian dish carbonnade, where beer was used by Belgian peasants to tenderize less expensive cuts of beef. Here I use Jamaican Dragon Stout for an extra-rich sauce, but any beer will work perfectly well.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 to 5 pounds top round or other economical cut of beef
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 12 ounces beer, preferably stout
- 4 potatoes, chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced
DIRECTIONS
- Bring the meat to room temperature, rinse thoroughly, and pat dry with a paper towel. Combine the garlic, mustard, ginger, salt, black pepper, and soy sauce. Spread the mixture on the meat and set aside to marinate, refrigerated, for 1 hour.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the meat and cook until browned on all sides, being careful not to burn it. Add the onion and cook until it wilts and darkens, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the beer. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, adding water as needed. Add the potatoes and carrots and cook, covered, until the vegetables are tender and the meat is easily cut, about 3 minutes.
cook's note
Use whatever other root vegetables you have on hand, if desired.
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