Mississippi Malabar Pot Roast

Pictures:

[Before](https://preview.redd.it/hpw4jzjruwva1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=a9f7ffc198848916dc10dcc519b84619b841a9e2)

​

[After. Roux on the side.](https://preview.redd.it/e2qgzdjuuwva1.jpg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=7f42b4764114c56ae1735f29679648e823a5f27a)

So today I decided to combine two of my favourite recipes, separated by about 9000 miles — the good ol’ Mississippi pot roast and the classic [dry beef roast/fry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala_beef_fry) from Kerala, India. I was fully prepared for for this frankenrecipe to end in disaster, but… ye gods! It. Is. Amazing. Just the right blend of spicy, umami, coconutty, and curry-leaf-y (no other way to describe this taste), as well as being fall-apart tender (which is pretty tricky to achieve with the dry beef roast from Kerala).

Here’s roughly how it goes.

**Ingredients**

* 3 to 4 lbs roast (I used chuck)
* 1/3 oz (\~10g) Ranch seasoning
* 1/3 oz (\~10g) au jus seasoning
* 1 stick butter
* 4-10 pepperoncinis
* 2 heaped tbsp chili powder (choose whatever spice level you want from mild to cayenne)
* 2 tsp (TEAspoons) powdered turmeric
* 1 heaped tbsp pepper
* 2 heaped tbsp garam masala (NOT curry powder)
* 1 large red onion or an equivalent amount of shallots (finely chopped)
* 2 heaped tbsp ginger+garlic paste (blend equal amounts fresh ginger and garlic to make this)
* 2 handfuls of fresh curry leaves (should find this at your local Indian supermarket)
* 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut (see above) or dried sliced coconut.

**Method**

1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large cast iron pan/dutch oven. Rub salt and pepper on beef, brown on all sides in the pan on high heat (really get that Maillard reaction going), then remove and place the beef in crockpot.
2. Add another tbsp olive oil to pan. Add curry leaves, coconut and stir fry for a minute. Add onions, ginger+garlic paste and stir fry for another 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat. Place aside.
3. Spread chili powder, turmeric, pepper, garam masala on top of the beef, then spread ranch and au jus seasoning over all this.
4. Add what’s in the pan on top of the spiced roast.
5. Place butter and pepperoncinis on top.
6. Cover and cook on low until fork tender (\~8 hours for me).
7. (Optional) Use butter and flour to make a roux in the cast iron pan, soaking up all those flavours. Add stock/water/liquid from the roast and whisk to make a gravy.

Notes:

I cut a few corners. Didn’t have the coconut or curry leaves, so I used some of my grandma’s dry-roasted-and-powdered coconut-and-curry-leaf mix (called “veppilakatti”). I also chucked the onion and ginger+garlic paste in raw. Couldn’t really taste the pepperoncinis, so I might use different peppers next time.

by FC_Wodehouse