What's Up Chuck (Roast)?

Benny, Lila and I spent last weekend with my parents in Brule. We were all getting over a cold, so I'm sure we weren't the most enjoyable company. My parents, however, reveled in spoiling Benny and Lila with attention. I got some reading done for my class, Benny visited Bud the Barber for a haircut (check out the pictures below of Benny's first visit to Bud) and my dad cleaned out his freezer and sent me home with a cooler full of meat. This seems to be a new past time of his. I don't know if it's a vestige his shock about of my being a vegetarian several years ago or if he just thoroughly enjoys giving people food (I think it's probably a combination). At any rate, he included a chuck roast.

I've heard of chuck roast, but never considered buying, much less preparing, one. This particular cut of meat is from a butcher in Arthur, Nebraska. That means is legit. Arthur is still cattle country, home to cowboys and cowgirls. I don't say this disparagingly either. I believe ranching and farming is a wonderfully complex lifestyle that has so many positive attributes. On that note, please check out The Whittaker's blog. I went to college with Hailey. She's now a mother of three cowgirls and her husband competes in rodeos all over the country.

I'm also not much for meat and potatoes, so I wanted to shake it up a little. Here's what I settled on:

Spicy BBQ Chuck Roast in a Crock Pot

Ingredients
1 chuck roast (between 3-4 lbs.)
1/2 cup water

3/4 cup ketschup
1/2-3/4 cup cola
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. mustard
1/5 tbsp. liquid smoke
1/5 tbsp. Tobasco
cayenne pepper (as much or as little as you want)
S&P

Method
Cook chuck roast in 1/2 cup water on low in crock pot for 6-8 hours. Rip meat off bone and combine meat with sauce. Cook on high for an hour. Enjoy!

Mom's No-Fail Hashbrowns

Like I said, I'm not a fan of traditional meat and potatoes. But, since we have some potatoes leftover from Christmas that I really need to use up, I figured I could prepare them with a twist. My mom's method for making hashbrowns is no-fail. She pierces them and microwaves them until they're soft. Then she refrigerates them, grates them on a cheese grater and fries them in butter. They are perfect.

Since I'm covering starches with the potatoes, I'm skipping buns for the meat. Plus, I forgot to pick them up at the store today. So much for having a list. I meant to make a salad for dinner too, but heated-up frozen veggies won that battle.

The meat was to-die-for. I can't decide if it's because I crock potted (verb?) the hell out of it, if it's legit cow from cattle country, or because I'm just that good. Let me know how it turns out for you!

Benny's FIRST haircut. He's wearing a Salt Lick onesie!