Roast Beef Poboys

I was in the mood for a roast beef poboy.  If you're not from Louisiana, you might not know what a poboy is.  It's just a sandwich.  Well, a very good sandwich.  A roast beef poboy isn't just sliced beef on bread.  It's slow roasted tender, shredded beef with gravy on bread.

I ordered a roast beef poboy from a local place (I won't name names) but it was gross.  The beef was way too salty, the gravy was nasty and the bread was tough.  I threw it out.  Very disappointing.  So, I decided to make my own the next day.  Here's how I did it:

The poboy in this pic is not "dressed".  That's what we call it when it has mayo, lettuce and tomato.  I like my poboys dressed (especially shrimp poboys!) but I was in the mood for plain old meat and bread.


ROAST BEEF POBOYS

1 chuck tender roast (3 lbs or so)
12 small cloves of garlic or 6 big ones cut in half (I like it garlicky, you can use less)
3 TBS vegetable oil
All-purpose flour
Salt/pepper/Creole seasoning
Onion powder/garlic powder
3 TBS Worcestershire sauce
Unsalted Beef broth (2-3 cups or so)

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Cut 12 deep slits in the roast (all over it including the underside).  Stuff the garlic cloves into the slits, as far down as they'll go..

Season the roast with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder on all sides.

Season the flour with the Creole seasoning (I like Tony Chachere's).

Dredge the seasoned roast in the seasoned flour on all sides.  Shake off the excess flour.

You'll need a pot with a lid that's oven-proof.  Let it heat up over medium-high heat.  Add 3 TBS oil.  When the pot is hot, brown the roast on all sides.  You want it to have a nice crust on all sides.

Once browned on all sides, remove the roast to a plate and set aside.

Now, we want to get all those brown bits off the bottom of the pot (that adds great flavor to the gravy).  While it's still hot, pour about 1/4 cup of beef broth in and scrape with a wooden spoon.

Return the roast to the pot and add enough beef broth to reach about halfway up the side of the roast.

Then, add 3 TBS Worcestershire sauce.  Now, taste the broth in the pot to see if it needs any seasoning.  I use unsalted beef broth because I like to season it to my own taste.  I usually add a little Creole seasoning at this point.

Bring it to a boil then cover it with the lid and place it in the preheated oven.  Let it roast in the oven for 2 1/2 - 3 hours.  This takes some time but it's easy and well worth it.  You can also transfer everything to your crockpot at this point and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-10 hours.  But I find the oven works best.

Use 2 forks to shred the meat.  Remove any big chunks of fat and discard.  Stir the shredded meat into the warm gravy in the pot.

Serve on poboy rolls or split french bread.  Spoon extra gravy over if desired.

This beef is so tender and flavorful!  My old-school Italian hubby said it was a little too garlicky for him (he still ate two poboys!) but I love garlic, so I thought it was great. Feel free to use less garlic if you're not a big fan.  You can also stud it with chunks of onion if you prefer.  This makes a lot of shredded beef!  We had leftovers that I used to make quesadillas a few nights later.  Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think.

Cajun Roast Beef

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted, but we have been super busy!  The renovations are very nearly complete, only a few minor things left to do.  Yay!  Also, my daughter was accepted to the Disney College Program so we had to drive her to Orlando and help her move in to her new apartment (and visit the Happiest Place on Earth while we were at it).  Yes, it's been very busy here.  But, now it's back to the real world.

Today, I thought I'd post a recipe for Cajun Roast Beef.  This is a nod to the way my Paw Paw used to make his roast.  He would cut slits in the roast and stuff it with garlic then, slow cook it until it was tender and delicious.  I never got his exact recipe but here's how I make mine.  I add two not so secret ingredients:

CAJUN ROAST BEEF

2-3 lb boneless chuck roast
1/2 an onion
3 cloves garlic
1 stalk celery
1 can beef broth
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS Louisiana Hot Sauce (I like Crystal brand)
flour
Tony's Creole Seasoning (any Cajun seasoning will work)
canola or vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Finely dice the onion, garlic and celery (pulse it in the food processor a few times or just use a knife).

Using a sharp knife, slice holes all over the roast (top, sides and bottom).

Stuff the holes with the onion mixture.

Once you've stuffed the entire roast, season it all over with Tony's (Cajun seasoning).

Put some flour on a plate (a cup or so) and season it liberally with Tony's.

Stir it well then coat the roast on all sides with the seasoned flour.

Heat a little oil (about 2 TBS or so) over medium-high heat in a dutch oven (a pot with a lid that is oven-proof).  When the oil is very hot, brown the roast on both sides.  Make sure you let the roast brown well.  You need to make a good crust (that helps to make a good gravy).

Once both sides are browned, add the beef broth, Worcestershire and hot sauce.

You want the liquid level to be about half way up the side of the roast.  That's how you braise meat.  Never cover the meat completely.

Bring the liquid to a boil then put the lid on and put the pot in the oven.  Let it cook for 2 - 3 hours or until very tender.  I had a 2.5 lb roast and it took 2 hours.

Here's what it looks like when it's done:

Use two forks to shred it up, then stir it into the gravy.

Being "Cajun" Roast Beef, it has to be served over rice.  Us Cajuns love our rice and gravy (I guess, if you must, you could serve it with mashed potatoes).

This roast is tender and flavorful with just the right amount of spice.  It's the perfect comfort food!  I hope you'll give this one a try.