Outside Round Roast with Corn Bread

Raul finds a bargain but very tasty looking outside round roast at Food Basics. $5.32 for a lump of a roast that will make several meals. He decides to make a traditional pot roast dinner crossed with Julia Child's legendary Boeuf Bourguignon. The roast is rolled in flour and then browned on the bbq. "It has to be browned," notes Raul, "or it will just be boiled meat. The browning keeps the juices in. This cut has very little fat in it, partly why it was so cheap, but that also makes it better for us, so it will need to be cooked carefully to make it fall apart just from just the pressure of a fork."

The roast goes into the pressure cooker with a coarsely chopped onion, two carrots and one stalk of celery. This is doused in two cups of stock and a cup of red wine. He brings it to a boil, locks on the lid and cooks for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile he bakes three large quartered potatoes, carrots and parsnips in a half cup of oil, two cups of water, salt, pepper and oregano at 375 degrees for an hour.

The corn bread recipe comes from Food.com:

Southern Pride Sweet Corn Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter ( softened)

1 cup milk

1 cup water

2 cups white cornmeal (for less gritty) or 2 cups yellow cornmeal ( I use white)

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with shortening.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Mix sugar, butter, eggs, milk, honey and water together in a large bowl.

Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl: cornmeal, flour,baking powder, and salt.

While stirring, add dry ingredients to sugar, egg, and milk mixture and mix thoroughly.

Mixture will be slightly lumpy.

Pour into greased rectangular pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Serve with butter.

Raul bakes the corn bread in an oiled cast iron frying pan and puts it in the oven alongside the potatoes and vegetables. All the jus from the roast is strained then boiled until it is reduced by about half and, voila! gravy. As Raul ladles the gravy onto the roast and vegetables on the plate, he explains, "The chef at the convention centre I worked at, taught me that. He said to just save all the juice and keep reducing it to get the most meaty flavour. He used it on the prime rib."

The roast may not be as expensive as prime rib but it is primo tasting. The bite of the wine in the gravy contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the corn bread and not a drop goes to waste - it also turns out to be perfect for absorbing the luscious liquid. "It's not as tender as I would like," notes Raul. "But by the time it sits over night and we re-heat it, it will be melt in your mouth."