Sweet and Sour

In case you're wondering, the heading of this post has everything to do with the pot roast I cooked on my stovetop last night and does not refer to my mood swings. At least once a year I make Rae Fox's sweet and sour sauce and decided it was time to mix a little of her old world genius with an inexpensive cut of meat and see what happened. The result was a fantabulous, fall-apart pot roast that took on all the flavors I was looking for- tangy, sweet, sour, oniony all in a mild tomato base. It almost reminded me of Joan Nathan's grandmother's brisket, but I think (I know) it was better. It's time consuming, but certainly not difficult to prepare. Check this out!

Sweet and Sour Pot Roast
serves about 6

The Roast:
2-1/4 pound bottom round roast
2 T flour
1-1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
2 T canola oil

The Sauce:
2 lemons juiced
1/2 tsp vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 15 oz can of water
1/2 tsp ground black pepper (omit if you're serving children or those with mild pallettes)
1large onion sliced

Pat all moisture from your roast- paper towels work just fine for me. In shallow plate combine flour, salt, and black pepper. Dredge meat on all sides in flour mixture and set aside.

We're going to make our sweet and sour sauce now and it's so simple, there's no cooking involved. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or measuring cup and whisk ingredients to make sure the sugar has dissolved.

Set this mixture aside and let's get back to the beef.  On stovetop in large skillet heat your oil on medium and sear meat on all sides. You want to create a nice crust that will keep the meat moist and seal the juices in.

 Now add your sliced onions and sauce.

Bring mixture to a slight boil, cover and lower heat to the lowest your stovetop can handle and cook 3 hours. I had the time to hang around the kitchen so I turned my roast over every 30-45 minutes. I'm not sure you have to do that. After 3 hours you will discover that the meat is tender, and begging you to take a taste. Please do that, just don't burn your fingers!

So how do you serve this you might be wondering? A side of mashed potatoes would be great. Egg noodles even better- anything to soak up the delicious sauce. But I took a different route and made deli sandwiches that were out of this world. I shredded (or pulled) the meat apart and served some serious comfort food. Messy, drip down your arms potato rolls stuffed with sweet and sour pot roast with and without cole slaw.

If you were wondering, my mouth was definately big enough to wrap around these little darlings and they were gone in no time. And I was wondering, if anyone has any other food additions that would work on this tasty sammie. If so let me know, I've got some left overs and would love to give your ideas a try!