A Recipe for Chuck Roast with Root Vegetables and Oyster Sauce Gravy
From Scott Mowbray and Ann Taylor Pittman's "The Global Pantry Cookbook"
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The other day (read: a little over a month ago), I had the joy of chatting with Nik Sharma here on “That One Dish.” While our conversation was mainly focused on his new book, we’d also discussed an evolution he’s observed in the way people are cooking and eating at home. He had this to say:
“I definitely think people have become more global in their approach to ingredients. They’re cooking with a global pantry in mind, and are willing to go and buy ingredients and try new things that they’re unfamiliar with—which is fantastic. And they’re also using these ingredients outside of their normal repertoire. An ingredient is meant to be versatile, right? If it works in a different type of dish, you should, by all means, use it. That’s something I’ve noticed has become less of an issue than it used to be before, which is kind of cool.”
These days, ingredients previously consigned to an “ethnic aisle” of the grocery store are becoming versatile, everyday tools in the cook’s toolbox. Furikake, traditionally a Japanese ingredient, has now evolved into a multi-use seasoning that supercharges everything from chex mix to granola. We’ve also learned that the traditionally Korean gochujang is just as good in sloppy joes and cookies as it is in tteokbokki and dakgalbi. No longer are these ingredients assumed to be useful only in the context of the cuisines with which they’re traditionally associated, but are now seen through the lens of the unique flavors and flavors they lend.
A while ago, Workman kindly sent me a copy of Scott Mowbray and Ann Taylor Pittman’s “The Global Pantry Cookbook.” It’s a beautiful title that showcases the ways in which beloved powerhouse ingredients can transcend the countries from which they originated, allowing readers and cooks to embrace “a broad and playful flavor inclusiveness.” In this book, sambal oelek makes for a savory, spicy kick in shrimp and grits while curry leaves lend toasty fragrance to crispy roasted potatoes. Ras el Hanout adds earthiness and depth to chicken salad sandwiches while panko breadcrumbs give pain perdu a nice crunch. And between you and me, reading this book has definitely taught me a thing or two about the joys of cooking with things like marmite and Tajín.
The fact that ingredients from around the world are more widely available online and in mainstream markets—not to mention, there’s increasingly more diverse food content on social media, newsletters, etc.—is changing the way we’re cooking at home, but all for the better. Our palates have expanded and, inevitably, so will the range of what we’re working with. We can still maintain respect for these ingredients’ traditional uses while also experimenting with what they can do in order to create new things. (It’s like how that saying goes, “Learn the rules so that you can break them properly.”) After all, isn’t much of the history around global cooking rooted in these cross-cultural mash-ups?
Today, I’ll be sharing this recipe from “The Global Pantry Cookbook” for a succulent roast—a great way of using a traditionally Chinese ingredient in an American favorite. Its flavors are elevated with oyster sauce, and the addition of that to the braising liquid “kicks the effect up tenfold as the dish develops in the oven,” write Scott and Ann. “The meat collapses into tenderness and the sauce melds into the stewy richness.” Throw in your favorite root vegetables in the last hour of cooking, and you’ve got a complete meal that’s perfect for cold-weather comfort.
Be sure to stay tuned for Thursday—I’ll be sending out another great recipe from “The Global Pantry Cookbook” for a final farewell to 2023, so be sure to subscribe (if you haven’t already done so) to ensure that every recipe, interview, story, etc. all gets conveniently sent to your inbox!
Serves 6
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast
2 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
1 ½ cups unsalted beef stock
¼ cup oyster sauce
4 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
2 large onions, halved vertically and cut vertically into thick slices
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 2-inch chunks or wedges
1 ½ pounds turnips, cut into 2-inch chunks or wedges
1 ½ pounds carrots, cut into 2-inch long pieces
Preheat the oven to 325°F with the rack placed in the center.
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle ¾ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper over the top of the roast; sprinkle the bottom with ¾ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Add the oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add the roast to the pan; cook until well browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn the roast over and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes.
Stir the stock and oyster sauce in a 2-cup measuring cup. Pour the mixture over the browned roast in the Dutch oven, and tuck the thyme springs and bay leaves into the liquid. Scatter the onions and garlic over the roast. Continue to cook over medium-high heat until the liquid boils, 15 seconds to 1 minute, then cover the pot and place in the oven. Braise for 2 hours, 45 minutes.
Remove the pot from the oven, uncover, and top the roast with the potatoes, turnips, and carrots. Cover the pot, return to the oven, and cook until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife, 1 hour.
Using tongs, remove the roast to a large platter. This is a little tricky, and the roast will likely fall apart—but you’ll need it in pieces to serve it, anyway. Gently stir the vegetables into the cooking liquid; discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Sprinkle the vegetables with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper; toss again gently to combine. Arrange the vegetables on the platter with the roast, or return the roast to the pot with the vegetables and serve.
Recipe adapted from “The Global Pantry Cookbook: Transform Your Everyday Cooking with Tahini, Gochujang, Miso, and Other Irresistible Ingredients” by Scott Mowbray and Ann Taylor Pittman. Copyright © 2023. Used with permission of Workman Publishing. All rights reserved.