I hope you saw the luscious pot roast recipe (made with brisket) that I ran in this space last week (on Thursday, March 26). If you’re having a seder this week, I’m hopeful you’ll include this pot roast as a warm main course.
But…there are some good arguments for serving the pot roast the next day…say, at lunch! First of all, if you put the gravy in the refrigerator overnight, fat removal is a snap; when the gravy’s cold, you simply lift off the congealed fat on top. Secondly, some people feel that the beef tastes better—deeper, beefier, sweeter—the second day. Lastly, I think pot roast tastes best when it’s sliced thinly—and this is easiest to do when the meat is cold.
Here are three great ideas for the day after:
1) A Simple, Cold Pot Roast Sandwich. Slice the cold beef as thinly as you can. Smear something sinful on an Italian hero. Butter’s good, mayonnaise is possible. Best of all comes from the Jewish “brisket-the-day-after” tradition: smear your bread (or matzo!) with schmaltz, or chicken fat. Yum! Plenty of salt and pepper, and you’re all set for a sublimely simple treat.
2) A Surprisingly Wonderful Plate of Just-Warm Pot Roast. Slice the cold beef as thinly as you can. Place the slices in a single layer on a microwaveable plate. Pop in the microwave for 30-40 seconds, or until the beef is slightly warm and just starts to glisten. Serve the plate with a mustard vinaigrette that’s loaded with finely minced shallot and parsley. A little horseradish in the vinaigrette wouldn’t hurt. It all ends up tasting something like a quintessential French bistro dish.
3) Re-heated Pot Roast Slices. If you wish to re-heat the meat, heat the de-fatted gravy first. Slice the meat, put it in a roasting pan, cover with the gravy, cover with aluminum foil, and heat all in a 300°F oven until the meat is heated through (about half an hour.) If you wish to give it a little extra flair—okay, okay, I can accept a little logical creativity!—you can mix some barbecue sauce in with the gravy (proportions are up to your taste.)
