I'm an idiot, lol.

[catbyte]

For the past few years, I've spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with friends across town and spent the night. I make a mighty fine pot roast even if I do say so myself, so I make that for Christmas Eve dinner then make hash on Christmas Day which is, let's face it, the best part of making a roast. Since we're basically snowed in here in Michigan, I was planning on making the roast at home tonight and then going over to their place tomorrow with hash. I bought the roast a couple of days ago before the blizzard hit but left the meat in the car because my refrigerator was getting pretty full. I went out to the car this morning to get the meat and it's a frozen solid meat popsicle. I should've brought it in last night but I was too lazy. I hope it thaws out by later this afternoon when I need to cook it.

I am an idiot.

Merry Christmas to all!

[leftieNanner]

1. Good Luck with the defrosting!

Would love your pot roast recipe. I can be hit-or-miss on that one.

Merry Christmas to you catbyte and thank you for a year of animal videos!

[catbyte]

10. I cheat a little, but it always comes out so delicious.

I use an English cut which seems to be the most flavorful. I commit the cardinal sin of not browning the roast before cooking, but that's the way my folks always did it. I preheat the oven to 350F then I salt and pepper a 3-4 pound roast put in a covered roaster, add a few roughly-chopped onions, and a few stalks of celery. I then open 2 cans of Campbell's Beef Consomme soup, dump them on a bowl, add one of those little bottles of red wine, preferably Cabernet Sauvignon, shake in some Lawry's seasoned pepper, mix, then dump over the roast, onions, and celery then pop on the lid. After the roast has been cooking for about 90 minutes or so, I add peeled, halved potatoes and carrots. I pop it back in the oven, forget about it for a couple of hours, then check it. If the roast is tender and the potatoes and carrots are soft, I take off the lid, turn up the heat to about 375 and let it go for about 30 minutes. The roast and potatoes are nicely browned and ready to serve.

The only way you can mess it up is if you don't let the roast cook long enough. There's something about that beef consomme and wine that makes it taste awesome and the hash the next day is heavenly.

I've been doing this for decades, my folks did it before me, and it's never failed even once. You should try it!

Merry Christmas to you!

[Hugh_Lebowski]

2. Wrap well and put in the sink sitting in tap-hot water, fine to do with beef

Especially a pot roast type of cut.

Take it off the styrofoam first, put in ziplock ... if it's currently on styrofoam from the store.

[2naSalit]

3. +1

Restaurants do it all the time.

[hippywife]

5. Everything I've ever read about thawing meat...

said to use cool water, never hot.

[usonian]

4. Growing up Italian-American. Christmas Eve Feast of Seven Fishes.

A family tradition.
Here's a decent description.
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/articles/feast-of-the-seven-fishes

In Southern Italy, (AND NAPOLI) celebrating Christmas Eve with a feast of seven fish dishes is a much-loved, age-old tradition. It's almost always a family affair, with generations of cooks in the kitchen and favorite foods that return year after year. But you don't have to be Italian to throw your own holiday seafood feast, and you don't have to stick with traditional recipes, either. Here, everything you need to know about the holiday, including its history and how to throw your very own party – choose from our menu of recipes.

What Is Feast of the Seven Fishes?
The Feast of the Seven Fishes is an Italian-American Christmas Eve celebration that brings families together the same way Thanksgiving does with traditions that span generations, decades and oceans. Known in Italy as La Viglia, which translates to The Eve, as in December 24th, Christmas Eve, The Feast of the Seven Fishes isn’t a religious celebration (unless your religion is worshipping at the altar of amazing food). It really is just a big fish-forward holiday meal that traces its roots back to Italy. There isn’t a set menu but there are a few dishes most families include, and we’ve got lots of info here that will help you plan a Feast of the Seven Fishes that fits your lifestyle (and the size of your kitchen).

Epicurious is way over the top with 53 recipes.
I think you can imagine that the simplest dishes are the ones that first, second and third generation Italian-Americans will (or should!) know.
https://www.epicurious.com/holidays-events/italian-seafood-recipes-for-the-feast-of-the-seven-fishes-gallery

Buon Natale

[hippywife]

11. I'm also from an Italian family...

but for some reason this was not a tradition in ours, and I was just telling my husband earlier today that I'd love to experience it. But I don't want to make it.

[MOMFUDSKI]

6. Thanks for the laugh of my day!

I remember in Wisconsin we had a party and it was way below zero so we just kept filling the ice cube trays and setting them out the back door and VOILA - ICE. And you are so right about the hash being the best part of making a roast beast. Merry Christmas.

[hippywife]

7. We've all been there or similar...

and felt the same. I hope you get it thawed out in time to use.

[dweller]

8. Defrost setting

in microwave ?



✌🏻

[Backseat Driver]

9. LOL, in a normal year I love having the luxury of the

extra space of the "garage" fridge without an actual second one. It's perfect for chili, stew, the roast, and pasta/potato salads; this year that would more resemble the "solid as a rock garage freezer," and ruining the cold-weather best texture keeping of potatoes, onions, and squashes. Not very useful for keeping the fresh fruit/veggie trays, soups, mayonnaise-based pasta dressings or "chilling fillings until firm and moldable" mac & cheese balls and sauerkraut balls that also become frozen solid before dredging and deep-frying until crisp (serve hot?) in which the fillings are still rock hard and cold.

DH used some Invisible Glass (sort of windex but better) to unstick his frozen shut car doors that had been outdoors during the 50 degree flash freeze Thursday night; the plastic spray bottle full of product, wrapped in a towel, cracked and leaked all over his car, and it was far less than full.