A couple of weeks ago, motivated by the cooler weather due to the advent of autumn, my wife had the serious urge to make some broccoli cheddar soup. It’s a longtime favorite from Panera, the thinking went, and maybe she’d be able to make it real good herself!
There was just one intimidating obstacle: The recipe she found that showed the most promise had a Dutch oven as their cooking pot of choice. Sure, we could just use one of our other large pots instead, but word on the street was that a Dutch oven was some serious weapons-grade cooking equipment. Using something lesser might pose a big disadvantage to us.
That said, though, I also had a more selfish ulterior motive for advocating that we get a Dutch oven. I had been low-key interested in getting one for the last few months because it would be an excellent tool for braising. Being someone who never braised anything before due to simply not having cookware that could amply handle it, I jumped at the convenient excuse to finally make the moves to buy an enamel Dutch oven for ourselves.
With that on hand, my wife cooked up that broccoli cheddar soup, with me acting as her assistant. And my sweet, sweet lord…our taste buds wept with joy. One of the most incredible dishes that we had ever eaten.
Already, this new Dutch oven on the block was paying dividends. But the fun was just beginning. For after that killer soup, I began making plans for braised food.
First was this pot roast recipe by Food Network, apparently contributed by The Pioneer Woman herself. I made slight modifications to their method–namely, using baby carrots that we already had rather than cutting up full ones, then adding in some Yukon gold potatoes cut in large pieces. After putting the chuck roast, Dutch oven, and company through their paces, it was time to serve it up. Once again, it came out divine; slow cooker pot roast has nothing on this!
Finally, most recently, I did a barbecue sauce-braised beef brisket. Put that mess on a place, pour some of that sauce over some mashed potatoes, and my appetite got took for a ride once again.
Now that I can braise with authority, I am unstoppable.
Today’s questions:
- Are there any media with food and/or cooking that you adore?
- Do you have any preferred ways of making food? Any signature recipes?
- What cuisine(s) set your world on fire?
And, as always, Talk Amongst Yourselves!
Today’s Morning Jam:
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