CHUCK DRUMMOND RECIPES

Steps:

• Toss the beef roast in a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker with the rosemary, ½ teaspoon salt and a generous grinding of pepper. Add the pepperoncini with their brine, along with the beef broth. Cover and cook on low until the meat is very tender and easy to pull apart, 7 to 8 hours. When the slow cooker has about 15 minutes left, heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the roast to a bowl and shred using 2 forks, then return it to the slow cooker. Keep warm. Preheat the broiler. Put the rolls on a baking sheet and spread with the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Broil until toasted, about 2 minutes. Heap a generous portion of meat on each roll, then spoon some of the cooking liquid over the meat. Top with a few pepperoncini from the slow cooker and plenty of caramelized onions. Put 2 slices of cheese on each sandwich and return to the broiler just to melt the cheese, about 1 more minute. Serve with potato chips and the extra cooking liquid on the side for dipping.

Steps:

• First and foremost, choose a nicely marbled piece of meat. This will enhance the flavor of your pot roast like nothing else. Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast. Preheat the oven to 275°. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split).  Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate.  Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so. If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.  With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.  When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme. Put the lid on, then roast in the oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.