Cathleen's Kitchen

POT ROAST WITH PLUM-PEACH KETCHUP

A WORD ABOUT THIS RECIPE

Here's a guilt-free version of a favorite American comfort food. Good cooking techniques keep the meat moist, and an old-fashioned "ketchup," made with plums and peaches, perfectly complements the roast. Don't be put off by the long ingredients list-it's mostly spices. This is an easy recipe.

Start with a lean roast, such as a select-grade arm or bottom round pot roast, which has only about seven grams of fat per three and a half ounce cooked serving. (By contrast, even extra-lean ground hamburger meat has sixteen grams of fat per three and a half ounce cooked serving-and you may have had to add some fat to the pan.)

You can make this recipe even lower in fat by refrigerating the liquid, then skimming off the fat. After the roast has cooked, remove it from the pan, pull out the onions with a slotted spoon, discard the spices and bayleaves, then pour off the liquid; refrigerate for a few hours, and skim the fat. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe directions, bringing the liquid to a boil to make the ketchup.

Here's another old trick: Pot roast always tastes better the second day, so make this the day before you want it-say, Saturday for Sunday dinner. That way, you can follow the directions above, skim off the fat, then proceed with the rest of the directions without having to wait around.

The ketchup, by the way, is so delicious you may want to try it over other meats such as grilled sirloin, grilled chicken, or turkey burgers. If preparing the ketchup without the roast, start with a third cup beef broth instead of the reduced cooking liquid. As an alternative, either for this recipe or others, you can make a Tomato Fruit Ketchup by substituting two (sixteen-ounce) cans of diced tomatoes for the plums.
1 (3 pounds) Boneless Beef Pot Roast
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
Vegetable Cooking Spray
1 Large Onion, Thickly Sliced
12 Whole Peppercorns
12 Whole All Spice
2 Bay Leaves
2 Cups Water(Or Reduced-Sodium Beef Broth)
2(15-Ounce) Cans Plums, Drained And Pitted
6 Dried Peaches
2 Tblsps White Wine Vinegar
2 Tblsps Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Trim Fat From Roast. Combine Thyme, 1/4 tsp Salt, and Garlic Powder; Rub Over Surface Of Roast. Coat An Ovenproof Dutch Oven With Cooking Spray; Heat Over Medium-High Heat. Add Roast And Brown Well On All Sides (About 8 t0 10 Minutes). Remove From Dutch Oven. Arrange Onion Slices In Bottom Of Dutch Oven; Add Peppercorns, All Spice, bay Leaves, And Water, Stirring Well. Place Roast On Top Of Onion; Cover Tightly And Bake For 3 1/2 To 4 Hours, Or Until Roast Is Tender. (If You Are Cooking This Saturday For Sunday Dinner, Refrigerate Now.)

Remove From Pan; Pour Cooking Liquid Into A SaucePan. Bring To A boil; Boil Uncovered Until Reduced To 1/3 Cup. Stir In Plums, Dried Peaches, Vinegar, Sugar, And 1/4 tsp Salt; Reduce Heat And Simmer Uncovered For 15 Minutes. Let Cool; Transfer To An Electric Blender Container And Process Until Smooth.

To Serve, Wrap Roast In Heavy-Duty Aluminum Foil; Bake At 350 Degrees For 30 Minutes Or Until Hot. Slice And Serve With Fruit Ketchup.

195 Calories Per Serving, 5g Fat(2g Saturated), 58 mg Cholesterol, 182 mg Sodium, 20g Protein, 19g Carbohydrates

Time: 45 Minutes Prep
41/2 Hours Cooking
Yield: 12 Servings

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