Pot Roast: A Not-So American Tradition

If you have a hankerin’ to do some reading you can go to our menu section and read all about our comfort food offerings; simply go to http://www.chefpointcafe.org/Sunday-Comfort-Food/ and get ready for your mouth to start watering.

One of the entrees on the menu is Pot Roast; if you were to read about it you would see that it is served with mashed potatoes and fresh mixed vegetables and it is cooked to perfection, but that really doesn’t tell you the whole story about one of America’s favorite comfort foods, now does it?

The term Pot Roast hails from 1881 when it first appeared in print.  It is derived from a popular meal called ‘New England Boiled Dinner,’ a meal basically consisting of the same ingredients.  The difference lies in the way it is now prepared.  As cooking techniques advanced it became possible to take tougher cuts of meat that couldn’t be eaten without some difficulty and slowly cook them in a deep, covered pan using liquids to tenderize them.  Borrowing from the old Yankee traditions the meat was also cooked with vegetables, typically carrots and onions, to add flavor.

In Germany this type of dish is called Sauerbraten, but variations are found in other countries as well including France, where it is called Pot Au Feu and in Italy where it is served as Bollito Misto.  Whatever you want to call it there is no doubt that the finished product will be delicious and as an added bonus you only have one pot to clean when you are finished.

As with many dishes, Americans like to think that Pot Roast is an American tradition; sorry to burst your bubble but it probably migrated to America from England in the 16^th Century, just one more reason why we should be friendly and appreciative to the British when they visit us.

So why do we at Chef Point Café consider Pot Roast a comfort food?  The most basic of reasons is because when you eat it you just feel good about life.  All of the stress and worries seem to disappear when eating a meal like Pot Roast; it is one of those mysteries that cannot be explained but anyone who has eaten it knows that we speak the truth about that subject. 

Chef Franson, who we like to refer to as ‘The Peoples’ Chef,’ has an innate ability to serve up traditional American dishes at our family restaurant even though he does not hail from America, a rare trick indeed.  One of our goals when we opened Chef Point Café was to be the quintessential American restaurant, serving traditional, feel-good American meals.  This Fort Worth restaurant will continue to focus on the basics that we know our clientele loves all the while trying new recipes that we hope you will try.  As always, after you try the Pot Roast we welcome your comments and we look forward to seeing you in 2012.