slow cooker smoked chuck roast

Sunday, I was so thankful for my slow cooker.  I had very little energy for cooking.  The week before, I had tried this same recipe with a pork shoulder and using the oven.  The flavor was very good but I was not happy with the tenderness of the pork shoulder.  My Beloved's tummy has been happy with pork with half the time.  I decided that I really needed to try this recipe again with the slow cooker and my Beloved requested beef.  

It was a hit.  Tender.  Flavor.  Life after a long two days was very good.  We are down to one tender spot on my Beloved's scalp and eyes that are still a bit sensitive to light and wind.  But not so sensitive that sunglasses do not take care of the problem.  I did order four pairs of prescription safety glasses tonight and two pairs of regular prescription glasses to replace the burn spotted pair for him.  Thank you so much for all the prayers.  

slow cooked smoked chuck roast

Note 1:  based on Local Milk's faux smoked slow cooked pork shoulder

Note 2:  Tried this with pork short ribs and it worked well.  Added one teaspoon ginger and one teaspoon cinnamon to the marinade.  Let it sit over night.  Braised it in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit, used one cup of water to clean the marinade bag, added to the pan, covered, and baked for six hours.

about a 3 pound beef chuck roast

1/3 cup dijon mustard

2 tablespoons dry rub

1 tablespoon alder smoked salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

At least 12 hours, if not 24 hours ahead, mix the mustard, dry rub, smoked salt, brown sugar, and liquid smoke together.  Rub this all over the chuck roast.  Place in a plastic bag.  Put this in a bowl, and put in the refrigerator until you are ready to put the roast in the slow cooker.

The next day, unwrap the chuck roast and put the meat into the slow cooker.  Put in all the extra marinade.  Cover.  Turn the slow cooker on for at least eight hours.  Serve with potatoes of some sort or anything else you wish.

I served this with cheesy mashed potatoes.  It was soooo good.  My Beloved had it for lunch the next day and he said it got better.

This is going to be our go to when we wish to have bbq instead of going out.  We will just need patience.

dry rub

Life has calmed down from Saturday morning.  My Beloved is healing.  He has a few sensitive bits of skin, eyes are still sensitive to bright lights and wind, and he tires easy but that is what is left.  He needs new glasses.  He has his sight and there are no blistered burns.  I am very thankful.  

I was very thankful that I had planned a slow cooker meal for Sunday that I actually started on Saturday.  I woke Saturday night every time my Beloved moved.  It meant there was very little energy on Sunday.  But we needed food.

I have been experimenting with a fake smoked pork recipe.  I actually followed the recipe the first time.  My Beloved thought I was sick.  The flavor was good but I thought the pork was dry.  My Beloved asked for beef the next time because his stomach seems to react to each pig that is butchered differently.  I have had the same experience so I was not surprised.  On Saturday, I marinated a chuck roast.  I started with a dry rub I made based on one of Bobby Flay's from the Food Network.  I will be using this again.

dry rub

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon New Mexico chile powder (I used one from Rancho Gardo)

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon white pepper

Mix all in a spice grinder.  Blend well.  Put in a jar to use on meat.  Rub into meat and let sit overnight to season.

eventful morning

This morning has been eventful.  I was working in the garden when I hear "Lady, can you help me?"  On entering the house, I come upon a wild eyed Beloved with scorched hair.  He had problems lighting his salt bath forge.

I pulled out the aloe plant.  Broke open a spear and slathered it on his face.  I kept doing it for the first fifteen minutes.  Then I had a bit of time to take the newest knife he made me (actually, I get all the seconds) and cleaned out the leaves to put the pulp in a bowl.  The new knife worked like a charm.  Took the pulp right off the skin like I was skinning a fish.

His skin is looking better but his hair is seriously scorched.  I am worried about his eyes, especially his left eye.  He can see but it is very irritated.  Prayers please.

a new shawl for me

I have been working on a shawl at work.  I made it from Juniper Moon Farm Findley in the color Frog Back.  There is a lot of greens with a bit of white and purple.  I made sure I had over 1500 yards and used every bit so it is a bit larger then the last one I made from this weight of yarn.

I crochet at work when I am supposed to be taking ergo breaks or am reading something that just does not take two seconds.  I sometimes feel a little bit guilty but rarely.  I do get asked what I am working on.  The next shawl I am working on at work, the yarn is ordered.  Otherwise, I could work on the sock I have there but I do not knit as well as I crochet.

Maybe I should bring in a sweater.  I have this mad idea to make my Beloved and Small Mister matching sweaters from yarn I have spun.  I just need more hours in the day.  I am pretty non-stop now until I fall over.

peanut butter chocolate cookies

A few nights ago, I was asked for something sweet.  I had seen a recipe for peanut butter chocolate cookies on pinterest.  I decided to modify my chocolate cinnamon pine nut cookies to be something similar. I would have liked to have some peanuts to add but I did not have any in the house.  Next time.  I only baked a few because we did not eat them all at once.

The lovely flavors help the tireds.  I fell asleep very early last night and felt like I could have gone to bed even earlier when I woke up.  Small Mister has been very active too which does not help my energy.  I feel like I could sleep for a week without an alarm going off and it would help!

Until then, there are things like chocolate and peanut butter.  Large cups of tea.  Skateboarding.  Surfing, if it was not summer.  No surf.

peanut butter chocolate cookies

4 ounces butter

4 ounces chunky peanut butter

150 grams brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

40 grams cocoa

50 grams almond flour

50 grams millet flour

50 grams sorghum flour

50 grams arrowroot flour

40 grams of chopped peanuts, if you have them

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cover you baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream sugar, butter, peanut butter, and vanilla together.  Mix in cocoa.  Mix in the flours.  Mix in the peanuts.

Drop by spoonful on the baking sheets.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Have a few with tea to relax.  Or grab a handful to go long boarding.  Or maybe surfing.  

I am thinking about building a long board deck for skating.  One more thing to the list.  Oh well.  This is why I get so tired.  Too much I wish to do in the number of hours in the day.  I laugh at myself.