Shabbat comes once a week and you want it to be special. But special doesn’t mean difficult. This Shabbat in a Pot is a one pan meal that takes about 20 minutes of prep time and then it just does its thing in the oven for 3 hours or so. Meanwhile, you can go about your business or sit back and relax. Depending on where you live and what you have access to, you can also use this time to prepare your salatim or ready a dessert.
Shabbat in a Pot could be made in a slow cooker, but I like to sauté my onions first before adding everything else. My slow cooker doesn’t have a function for that so I prefer the stovetop/oven method.
These slow cooked meat dishes may not always be the most photogenic, but believe me when I say that when you smell the incredible aromas and taste the finished product, the LAST thing you will be thinking of is whether it is photo worthy.
Because it was only me and my husband, I used a fairly small cut of meat. However this can easily be sized up. The only limit is the size of your pan and the whether it fits in your oven.
I used chuck roast but you could use any meat that benefits from slow cooking such as short ribs, brisket, flanken or dekel. Chuck roast is a rich meat that is usually well-marbled. For health reasons (and because we just don’t eat that way anymore) it is something to enjoy occasionally. But enjoy it, you will.
RECIPE
Yield: About 6 servings, depending on sides and if you have teenage boys or very athletic girls!
INGREDIENTS
2.5 pounds of boneless chuck roast
2 Tablespoons of Avocado or other neutral oil
2 yellow onions, peeled and sliced thinly
10 to 12 peeled garlic cloves, left whole
4 to 5 carrots, peeled and cut on the bias into about 3-inch pieces
Baby Bella or Button Mushrooms, cut into quarters or 6 pieces, depending on size (How many you use will depend on the size of your pan. I actually would have liked to have added more.)
Preferably a 2-pound bag of small golden or red potatoes left whole (If you only have bigger potatoes, cut them into pieces about the size of the carrots. (But if you use whole ones, they just go into the pot as is! Again, I would have used more if I had had more space.)
1.5 generous teaspoons turmeric, divided
2 teaspoons of salt
Cracked black pepper to taste
1 generous teaspoon of ground cumin
1 generous teaspoon of sweet paprika
Pure date syrup (Silan) for drizzling (If you don’t have date syrup, you could use Pomegranate Molasses or even tamarind paste. Each will change the flavoring some, but all will be good.)
14 oz. can of tomatoes in their own juice (I like to use whole tomatoes that I crush with my hand.)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
In a 12-inch deep pan with a lid, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the sliced onions and 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of turmeric. Sauté until softened and well-colored.
Lay the meat on top of the onions and surround the meat with all of the veggies. Drizzle the date syrup over everything. Sprinkle the cumin, paprika, remaining salt, turmeric and black pepper over the meat and vegetables.
Pour the can of tomatoes over everything and using your hand, squish the tomatoes. (You could use canned, diced tomatoes if you prefer.)
Pour about 2 cups of water over everything. I eyeballed it. The water should not quite cover the meat and vegetables. Depending on how long you end up cooking this, you might add a little more water. You could use beef broth if you prefer, but it really isn’t necessary.
Bring the pan to a boil. Then cover it and place it in the oven. Now let the magic happen. Leave it untouched for 2.5 hours. Baste the meat and veggies with some of the liquid. Then turn the heat down to 325 degrees F. You can continue cooking for up to another 2 hours. Just check that all of the liquid hasn’t boiled away. You don’t want this swimming in liquid – just enough to keep everything juicy.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to rest for about 15 minutes. Then remove the meat to a cutting board and slice it thickly against the grain. Now dig in!
