Pot Roast from United Air Lines

Tender, flavorful pot roast shown here with Delmonico Potatoes and Heavenly Delight Salad

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City/Region: United States of America

Time Period: 1954

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Back before airlines could compete with lower prices, they competed with the quality of atmosphere, service, and, of course, food.

I’d be happy to have this pot roast on the ground, let alone on an airplane. The meat is so tender that it falls apart, the vegetables and herbs give it wonderful flavor, and you get the added bonus of it making your house smell awesome as it simmers.

“Beef Pot Roast by Chef Emil Salzmann
Serves 6
2 1/2 lbs Beef Chuck or Round
1 lb Veal Bones
2 cups Stock (If fresh stock not available, use canned Consomme or Bouillon Cubes and water.)
2 medium Onions, quartered
1 cup canned Tomatoes or 6 oz Tomato Paste
2 Bay Leaves
1 sprig Parsley
1 cup diced Carrots
1/2 cup diced Celery
6 whole Cloves
10 Peppercorns
2 tsp chopped Garlic
2 tbsp Fat
1 cup dry red Wine
Seasoning to taste

Season beef with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, brown with veal bones in fat. Add onions, celery, carrots, parsley and whole cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns and cook for about 15 minutes. Now add garlic and stock and tomatoes or tomato paste and wine. Cover and simmer for 2 hours or until meat is tender. Remove beef. Reduce liquids by one half and thicken. Strain gravy before serving.”

— Favorite Recipes of Mainliner Chefs by United Air Lines, 1954

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Ingredients:

• 2.5 lbs (1 kg) beef chuck or round
• Flour, for dredging the beef
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons (28 g) butter or other fat
• 1 lb (1/2 kg) veal or beef bones
• 2 medium onions, quartered
• 1 cup (140 g) diced carrots
• 1/2 cup (70 g) diced celery
• 1 sprig parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 whole cloves
• 10 whole peppercorns
• 2 cups (475 ml) beef stock
• 2 teaspoons (9 g) minced garlic
• 6 oz (170 g) tomato paste
• 1 cup (235 ml) dry red wine

Instructions:

1. Season the beef on all sides with plenty of salt and pepper. Put some flour in a large bowl or plate and turn the seasoned beef over in it until it’s coated on all sides with flour.
2. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add meat and bones. Let them cook on one side for several minutes until it gets a nice sear, then flip them over and let them cook on the other side.
3. Once the meat is browned all over, add the onions, carrots, celery, parsley, whole cloves, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes.
4. After 15 minutes, add the stock, garlic, tomato paste, and wine. Stir it all together and bring it to a simmer. Put the lid on and cook at a simmer, reducing the heat if necessary, for about 2 hours until the meat is falling apart.
5. When the pot roast is cooked, take the meat out of the pot. Simmer the remaining liquid until it’s reduced by half to make a sauce. Once reduced, pass it through a strainer, saving the onions and other vegetables to serve with the roast.
6. Serve the roast, vegetables, and sauce forth with Delmonico Potatoes and Heavenly Delight Salad for a full meal from the Golden Age of air travel.

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