Pioneer Woman Chucks Dinner Recipes

PERFECT POT ROAST

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.

CHICKEN A LA CHUCK

Steps:

• Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for medium-high heat.
• Melt the butter in a pan, then stir in the lemon juice and Worcestershire. Pour over the drumsticks in a large bowl and toss to coat. Sprinkle over the seasoned salt, lemon pepper and cayenne and toss again.
• Grill the drumsticks in batches, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 30 minutes.

FROZEN CUSTARD

Steps:

• Using a paring knife, split the vanilla bean in half. Use the back of the knife to gently scrape the caviar out of the bean and into a large saucepan. Add the vanilla bean, half-and-half and sugar and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Whisk the egg yolks in a mixing bowl until pale yellow and slightly thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Temper the yolks by slowly drizzling a ladle of the hot half-and-half mixture into the bowl, whisking the whole time. Repeat with a second ladle of the hot half-and-half mixture, again whisking the whole time.
• Pour the tempered yolks back into the saucepan with the remaining half-and-half mixture and cook over low heat, stirring gently with a wooden spoon, until it's thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Set a fine-mesh strainer over a clean bowl. Pour the custard through the strainer into the bowl. Add the heavy cream to the strained mixture and stir everything together. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
• Pour the chilled mix into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and place in the freezer until frozen firm, at least 6 hours (but overnight is best for nice scoopable ice cream). Serve on its own or with warm apple crisp.

APPLE CRISP

Steps:

• For the apples: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with butter.
• Arrange the apple slices in the prepared baking dish in an even layer. In a bowl, mix together the granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples, then pour 1/2 cup water over top.
• For the topping: In a separate bowl, mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and a pinch of salt. Stir while drizzling in the melted butter. Sprinkle the topping in an even layer over the apples.
• Bake until the topping is slightly crisp and golden brown, about 43 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature on its own, with ice cream or with frozen custard.

CHUCK'S ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, garlic powder, black pepper and onion, crumbling the beef as you cook it, until well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off any excess grease but do not clean the skillet.
• To the same skillet, add the beef broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, paprika, cumin, hot sauce and some salt. Smash the tomatoes into small bits as you stir. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Use an immersion blender to puree the sauce. Simmer for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour, mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup water in a small bowl. Add the slurry to the sauce. Raise the heat to medium high and let it boil and thicken for 3 minutes. Return the beef to the pan and stir.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Soften the tortillas in the microwave, wrapped in a paper towel, for 15 to 45 seconds, depending on your microwave.
• Mix together all 3 cheeses in a bowl. Place a couple of tablespoons of cheese in the center of each tortilla, making a line down the center. Roll each tortilla up and place it seam-side down in a 9-by-13-inch pan. Once all the tortillas are in the pan, spoon or ladle the sauce over the top of them. Top with the leftover cheese and bake until bubbly, about 18 minutes.
• To make ahead: Assemble the tortillas in the pan and cover with plastic wrap. Put the cooled sauce in an airtight container. Keep the extra cheese for topping in another container. Throw everything into the fridge. When ready to cook, top the tortillas with the sauce and cheese and bake!

CHUCK BURGERS

Steps:

• Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot to 350 degrees F.
• Put the flour in one shallow dish, the egg in a second and the breadcrumbs in a third. Coat the onion rings first in the flour, then dip them into the egg, shaking off any excess, then coat them with the breadcrumbs. Fry the rings until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
• Put the ground sirloin in a bowl and add the chipotle and some salt and pepper. Mix well and form the mixture into 2 burgers.
• Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Cook the burgers to your liking, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside on a plate and keep warm by inverting another plate on top. In the same skillet, fry the jalapeno slices until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Wipe out the skillet and add the butter. Toast the pretzel rolls until lightly browned.
• Mix together the barbecue sauce and mayonnaise in a small bowl.
• To assemble: Spread some of the sauce on the bottom halves of the rolls. Top with the burgers, jalapeno slices and onion rings. Spread more sauce on the top halves of the rolls and serve.

QUICK-ROASTED SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place the tomatoes, garlic, onion, jalapeno and poblano onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until charred in spots, about 15 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender. Add the lime zest and juice and puree until smooth, being careful not to fill the blender too full. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cilantro. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Goes great with chips or alongside enchiladas.