This weekend, I made two purchases that I just can't wait to use. The first is a mini-magazine from Martha Stewart called "Everyday Food", which boasts a couple of interesting low-fuss menus. The other was a Calphalon 5-quart Dutch oven, on super-double clearance for just $70. I was hoping to incorporate both into today's recipe, but unfortunately my grocery store was out of tomatillos, so I had to go with a stand-by recipe. So today, we'll be using-slash-reviewing the Dutch oven with Cooking Light's September 2009 recipe Spice-Rubbed Braised Beef.
Be warned that this recipe takes some time to prepare, but it's mostly unproductive time (read: "waiting around"). First, you have to marinate the rubbed chuck roast for at least 1 hour, at most overnight. Second, the roast requires 2.5 hours to cook. So if you're able to plan well enough ahead, this would make a great Sunday afternoon football-watching meal.
Apart from a Dutch oven (or another thick-walled pot that goes from stovetop to oven), you'll also need a blender or food processor to puree the canned tomatoes.
The meat turned out a little too sweet for my taste. If I make this again, I think I'll halve the brown sugar in the sauce mixture. Six tablespoons seemed like a lot, and it definitely made the sauce a little more sweet than I'd have liked.
I can't conclude this review without saying how fantastic the Calphalon Dutch oven is! It's a little on the heavy side, which makes for some interesting maneuvering out of the oven, but it cooks well and cleans up even better. Money well spent, in my book!
