A Unique Pot Roast

The Unique Pot Roast

Every family enjoys home cooking and their tastes evolve with different influences. This is what happened with this pot roast recipe, which was pretty normal when my mother-in-law gave it to me in the late 70s.
Our family moved to Okinawa with the military, and we acquired a taste for soy sauce. Yes, I said soy sauce. This preference for soy sauce increased when we lived in Hawaii. And in Hawaii, just about everything is served over rice.
So, that explains why there is soy sauce, mushrooms and rice in this meal. The pot roast comes out kind of teriyaki-ish. We like it. Maybe you will, too.

Auntie Melanie's Pot Roast

2 lbs    beef brisket (or other suitable cut)
2/3 c soy sauce (you can get low sodium) 
1 1/2 quarts water

1 onion, sliced thick

2 whole cloves garlic
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp minced onion 
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt

10 oz sliced mushrooms 

I brown the meat on all sides in a frying pan with the olive oil. I sprinkle the minced onion, garlic powder, pepper and salt while I brown the meat. In the slow cooker, I put water, soy sauce, the thick slices of onion, and the 2 whole cloves of garlic, turning it on high. When the beef is browned, I put everything from the frying pan into the crock pot. It will cook on high for about 5 hours. Then I put the rice on to cook in the rice maker, and put the mushrooms into the crock pot with the meat et al. About 20 minutes later, we have pot roast, mushrooms, and juice over the rice. Like I mentioned, its kind of teriyaki-ish. We like it. The left over pot roast freezes well, too. Serves six.

Growing garlic, upper right is clumping onions.

  

Gardening Tip

You can easily grow your own garlic. Buy heads of garlic at the grocery store, take the cloves apart. I plant them a couple inches apart, about 1/2 inch deep in my flower containers outside. The scent and taste is entirely vibrant when they are fresh; and when you need a clove of garlic, there's a good reason to go outside in the sunshine and get some vitamin D!