Slow Cider Cooked Chuck Roast Sandwich

Much like the pork roast I did a while back, I simply browned a cheap $3.99/lb chuck roast and put it in the slow cooker with a cut up onion, a carrot, two fresh bay leaves, a stalk of celery, about a quarter-cup of my homemade sun dried tomato paste... and enough apple cider to cover. Now apple cider is something you'd usually associate with pork, but I thought it would work well here, adding sweetness in the same way that adding prunes does in my braised tri-tip recipe. Cider still has a good acid content, so it helps break down the connective tissue in a tough cut of meat in the same way that wine or vinegar will.

I let this cook all night, and put it in the fridge the next day. A few hours later I skimmed off the fat that had congealed on top, and divided it up into containers, some of which went into the freezer for later meals, and some of which went into this sandwich.

Senor Lopez Taqueria Mexican Restaurant

Looking about for a pre-theater meal, it occurred to the Girlfriend and I that we hadn't been back to Senor Lopez (2135 West Stadium, Ann Arbor) since our first visit several years ago- and we did remember that we liked it a lot. Real Mexican food, nice ambiance and reasonable prices. So back we went. The place was almost empty when we arrived at 6:30; I'm hoping they do a better business later at night and at lunch time.



I had the tamales (your choice of chicken, pork and cheese) which were very tasty and very authentic. The Girlfriend was feeling more adventurous and ordered the Chile Engoda, which neither of us had ever encountered before. The waitress asked if she liked it. "I've never had it before," she responded. "Is it hot?" It's very sweet, said our waitress.


Turns out it's very sweet and fairly spicy, not to mention delicious. The dish, a traditional favorite for Mexican Independence Day celebrations, costs of a Poblano chile stuffed with meat, apples, raisins, onions, almonds, parsley and a lot of herbs and spices. The stuffed chile is then coated with whipped egg whites that have been folded into egg yolks, and fried. And then the whole thing is topped with a sauce made from crema (Mexican sour cream), crushed walnuts, and sugar, and finally, sprinkled with pomegranate seeds. The colors of the dish- green, white, and red- symbolize the Mexican flag.

So the food was excellent, the service pleasant, and the prices modest- the bill came to $19 plus tip for the two of us. We'll be back before another two years have passed.

Sunday Lunch

Sunday after coffee we went to the Royal Oak flea market on a whim, and discovered that a couple of the farm vendors who come on Saturday were still there. I bought a dozen eggs, huge leeks (at 75 cents each!) and a basket of fingerling potatoes.


For lunch, I scrubbed and then microwaved the potatoes until tender, and then tossed them with some olive oil and put them in a 400F oven to crisp up a bit.

I also took a squash I'd roasted the day before, pureed it with a bit of margarine, brown sugar, salt and pepper, and heated that in the microwave as well.


Then I grilled a couple of sandwiches made with the pulled pork I did last Friday on my reliable Cuisinart GR-4 Griddler, and we had a very good lunch indeed.