Nick’s Belgian Ale Pot Roast

On Thursday nights, I take a break from my usual running/gymming routine and go to a fun cardio class. Actually I don’t know if “fun” is the word. Maybe torturous would be more fitting. But torturous or not, the instructor is hilarious and it’s the same group of ladies (and one out-of-place aerobics-loving man) every week, so it ends up being fun and a nice change from the norm.

Since I’m out lunging and squatting, I don’t get home til late. I can barely move after class, let alone think about making something for dinner that requires anything more complex than punching numbers into the microwave. Lucky for me, Nick loves cooking almost as much as I do. So usually on Thursdays I come home to something delicious waiting for me on the table.

Last night, it was a yummy pot roast with broccoli, onions and mushrooms, cooked in our homemade Belgian ale!

I sent Nick to do some errands yesterday while I was at work, and one of them happened to be next to a little butcher shop (very creatively named, The Butcher Shoppe). Like I’ve said before, Nick’s a meatatarian, so a butcher shop is to him what a candy store is to me. He practiced some serious restraint and came out with only a reasonable sized piece of meat and some pork stuffed mushrooms. The meat apparently is sirloin tips… except, they weren’t cut into bite sized pieces like steak tips normally are, so I was very confused. I don’t know very much about meat, but I do know you could probably use any cut you happen to like in this dish.

I haven’t mentioned this on the blog before, so for those of you who don’t know, one of our hobbies is brewing our own beer. A few weeks ago we brewed a strong Belgian ale, which is one of Nick’s favorite types. Technically it’s not done carbonating yet, but several have already been opened. It’s just too good to wait one more week! Last night’s meal included one of our freshly brewed bottles.

1 chunk of steak (very precise, I know)
1 head of broccoli, chopped
1 onion (Vidalia or something else sweet)
1 package whole mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
salt & pepper to taste
1 bottle Belgian Ale

Get out your dutch oven and add the olive oil. Rub the meat with garlic, salt and pepper. Add the meat and mushrooms to the pot. If you don’t have a butcher with cool stuffed mushrooms, feel free to use regular ones.

Chop the onions, and add them too.

Nick steamed the broccoli, but I wouldn’t suggest this. It got a little too soggy. I would add it raw about halfway through the cooking process.

Add the beer and cook everything over low heat for 5-6 hours, or until the meat is tender. A crockpot would be great, but the dutch oven works just as well as long as you’re around to keep an eye on it so you don’t set the house on fire!

Lastly, butcher the thing and enjoy!

The aftermath…