Dill Pickle Pot Roast aka Pickle Beef
I am from a town perhaps best known for its annual Prime Beef Festival, so yes, of course I am fluent in all things cow. Well, all things cow that can be consumed, anyway. I’m not a bovine brainiac beyond knowing how to turn slabs of meat into meltingly tender morsels of delight.
Despite my agrarian upbringing, I don’t eat much meat as an adult. I’m much more of a seafood person. It’s a lot easier to cook fish for one than it is to braise a roast for one. So when I do prepare beef, it better be delicious as all get out and something I would possibly consider eating as a leftover, which we all know is a delicate subject around here.
And my secret is pickles. Lots and lots of pickles.
I go through pickles at an alarming rate. Frankly, Claussen should be paying me for keeping them in business. My fridge looks like a pickle emporium; myriad jars neatly tucked into every nook and cranny, some full of spicy spears or crunchy half sours while some are just sloshing with leftover brine that I like to toss green beans and celery into for DIY pickled snacks. Or, you know, for picklebacks if I’m feeling saucy.
This recipe is literally two ingredients: pickles and beef. Believe me, I was suspicious of how this could possibly be a satisfying recipe that needed no additional tweaks, but I am here to tell you that it just works. The brine is all the seasoning you need. I love using Claussen Hot and Spicy pickles, but use whatever your favorite pickle happens to be.
Oh, you hate pickles? You will still like this. I promise. It’s like lazy Italian beef, and even my pickle-hating bestie likes this. (Hey Jillian, love you, mean it!)
I prefer to serve the beef shredded and tucked into sturdy pretzel rolls, but it makes a dynamite grilled cheese filling and surprisingly tasty nacho topping.
Dill Pickle Pot Roast aka Pickle Beef
Prep: 10 minutes | Cook time: 2.5 hours
1 chuck roast (2-3 pounds)
24 ounce jar of pickles, brine and all
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering.
While the oil heats up, cut your roast into four equal-ish chunks, trimming as much fat as you can from the meat. Season with freshly cracked black pepper on all sides.
Once the oil is shimmering, sear the beef on all sides until a deep brown crust forms and it easily releases from the bottom of the pot. Once well browned, dump the entire jar of pickles, brine and all, into the pot and give it a little stir to help things get to know each other.
Place the lid on your dutch oven and braise in the oven for 2.5 hours, or until the meat is fork tender. Shred the beef and pickles together to your desired consistency. Add a splash of fresh pickle brine to brighten things up and stir to combine with the meat mixture.
Serve warm on pretzel buns piled high with vinegar slaw, tucked into a grilled cheese, or atop a melty heap of nachos.