As I’ve mentioned before, I am a huge fan of FoodTV’s The Kitchen. The crowd brings a mixture of different types of talent and cooking styles, they are funny, witty, it’s a great way to spend an hour on Saturday mornings. Often they will have guests, but for the most part I don’t care that much for them. Usually they are hosts from other cooking shows in need to advertise their cookbook, some are so in love with themselves that they get me into that state of non-stop eye-roll. A particular OMG-We-ARE-So-Cool American-Italian couple comes to mind. I had to fast-forward that one, I have my limits. A few months ago they featured Robin Chapman, a nice older woman to share her recipe for a slow-cooker concoction called Mississippi Roast. I know, roast in the slow-cooker seems like a contradiction in terms, but that’s how the recipe goes. Anyway, apparently Mississippi Roast got stellar reviews all over the internet, went fully viral on Pinterest, to the point of calling the attention of Sam Sifton from The New York Times. He went searching for the original author. And that’s how she ended up at FoodTV. As I watched her preparing it, my shock and horror kept growing. I could not picture myself making it for us. A real dump and forget approach to the slow-cooker, involving a bag of powdered ranch dressing to make things more “interesting.” The fun part was watching Geoffrey Zakarian trying to keep his cool. I would love to know his real thoughts as the cooking went on. Of course, I promptly removed the recipe from my mind. Then, one day I got notification of a new post by Mike, the blogger behind The Iron You. My chin dropped. He made it. He raved about it. He tweaked it with a few modifications (taking it on the same path Sam Sifton suggested), which definitely improved the recipe. No more powdered ranch (wink, wink). I caved. I made it. I absolutely loved it. Have already made it three more times. If you are a meat lover, grab your slow-cooker, and try this one.
MISSISSIPPI ROAST
(slightly modified from The Iron You)
3 lbs boneless chuck roast or top or bottom round roast
2 teaspoons fine grain salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
3 tablespoons butter
8 pepperoncini peppers (I used jarred)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
Rub salt and pepper all over the roast.
Heat oil in a large pan over high heat until it is shimmering and almost starts smoking. Place the roast in the pan and brown on all sides, about 4 to 5 minutes per side, to create a crust. Remove roast from the pan and place it in the insert of the crock pot.
Make the ranch dressing by mixing mayonnaise, vinegar, dill and paprika. Whisk well to emulsify. To the meat in the crock pot add butter, pepperoncini, and the ranch dressing. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Using two forks, shred the meat and mix it with the gravy surrounding it.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: This was scrumptious. As usual, brown food is pure ordeal to get a nice picture, so you better trust my words. I had never tried pepperoncini and was not sure what kind of flavor they would contribute. It is a very nice pepper, mild, almost lemony. One of the changes I made from Mike’s version was to omit the cornstarch coating of the meat. My sauce turned out a bit thin, but we don’t mind that. I served this “roast” with mashed cauliflower (shown in the picture). with spaghetti squash the second time around, and with rice and beans on the third. Leftovers were always consumed with corn tortillas for a Tex-Mex version. Some Cotija cheese crumbled on top, a little guacamole and we were all set. The original version from Robin Chapman uses a full stick of butter on top of the meat. To me, that is overkill, but if you’d like to try it as initially conceived, jump to the FoodTV link and check it out.
I am very fond of any type of meat that you can shred with a fork, to me it says comfort food right away, and holds the promise of many tasty meals ahead.
So there you have it. I learned a lesson with this one. Don’t twist your nose at something just because it’s not exactly your style of cooking. A few tweaks here and there, and you might end up with a recipe that will win a spot in your regular rotation. Of course, now I’m wondering if there’s really anything to be said for ham braised in Coca-Cola. Hey, I’m not making that up. It is a real thing!
😉
ONE YEAR AGO: Walnut-Raisin Bran Muffins
TWO YEARS AGO: A Star is Born!
THREE YEARS AGO: Chestnut Flour Sourdough Bread
FOUR YEARS AGO: Kinpira Gobo and Japanese Home Cooking
FIVE YEARS AGO: Walnut Sourdough
SIX YEARS AGO: Thai Chicken Curry
SEVEN YEARS AGO: Zen and the art of risotto
Bewitching Kitchen 
I love the Kitchen. I watch it on Sundays here. GZ and Sunny are my favorites. How did I miss this episode?
I also love meat you can shred with forks, even if it is hard to photograph! (wait until you see my curry post coming up… ) Can’t wait to try this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
you can probably watch it online… it is worth it, just to enjoy GZ’s bravery… 😉 (edited the typo for you…)
looking forward to your curry!
LikeLike
=)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do like reading the processes your brain goes through!! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I tend to have pretty convoluted conversations with myself… sometimes! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
They’re the best!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: KITCHEN
Like you said, it’s famous. I love how you argue with yourself about every dish you make and we’re all lucky you won the argument on this and decided to make it. It LOOKS amazing. I will take your word for it that it’s good because you made it THREE times. Winner.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed, a big winner with us – plus it also freezes well. Third time I had a little bit leftover, not enough for a dinner for the two of us, so into the freezer it went. A week later, a nice little lunch for yours truly…
LikeLike
I LOVE the story behind this dish. I’m going to have to check out this show now! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope you like the show – give it a chance, watch it two or three times, they grow on you…
LikeLike
Hmmm well I believe you. What are the pepperoncini doing in the crock pot? I just eat them as is. Very interesting. I can imagine Zakarian’s reaction with the ranch dressing. Did you know he was a chef at La Cirque? But I can’t watch the show. It pisses me off that Katie is on the show, when her only claim to fame is a four-month marriage to Billy Joel. And her voice… rubs me the wrong way. Oh well, each to her own!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I used to absolutely hate her presence in the show – changed my mind completely – she is light wait in terms of cooking, but she doesn’t try to pretend she is something bigger than she is. Her voice is annoying, but even that now doesn’t bother me. I came to view her as a very sweet and in a way quite authentic person. Most “celebrities” claim to fame are iffy to say the least. I actually question the validity of MANY of the hosts of cooking shows on FoodTV now, who range from country singers to aging actresses. But that’s the game they play in the channel now. Cooking is neglected to a secondary spot, with few exceptions. Ina Garten is still there in re-runs, but I must confess SHE rubs me the wrong way with her snobbish ways… 😉
as to the Kitchen, it bothers me the fact they are catering more and more to convenience products in grocery stores (cake box mixes, frozen veggie mixes, packaged stuff) , but it also seems to be something that most of their audience is ok with. Overall, it is a fun show with an upbeat atmosphere, and even if I was still annoyed by Ms Lee, the fact that she is only 25% of the show would not prevent me from watching
LikeLike
I understand. Things really have changed. I really shouldn’t have such harsh opinions because in normal life I wouldn’t judge these people, but when they’re on tv, and as you said, their only claim to fame is being a C & W singer or a blogger with an annoying voice – both of whom whip up mac n cheese and brownies – it just makes me turn off the tv. I should probably give more shows a chance, but “group” shows annoy me because they’re noisy! Everyone talks over everyone else, like the Chew. I might as well turn on the View! The only show I watch, because my husband likes it too, is Masterchef Junior. Those sweet little kids are so talented, and so kind and humble. Never liked Ina Garten either. Honestly Sally, in real life I love everybody!
LikeLiked by 1 person
oh, now I get my pet peeve to shine. I cannot stand kids in cooking shows. I hate it. I hate teenagers in cooking shows. Cannot stand it at all. Talk about prejudice, that’s one I have. I simply will not watch. Period. In my mind, only family members (and close like Mom Dad, perhaps Grandma) should be subjected to these shows.. 😉
so yeah, vive la difference!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahahahaha! They’re just so adorable, standing on boxes so they can reach the stoves, using knives bigger than their arms, and not horribly competitive and devious like adults. We once watched them make beef Wellington, and my husband turned to me and said, “how come you’ve never made beef Wellington?” and then I did. If those damn kids can make it, so can i! Plus, I really love Gordon Ramsay. Joe Bastianich used to also be on the show. He’s a serious snob, but it suits him!
LikeLike
There is another version that I saved from Delish, but it calls for a packet of ranch dressing seasoning, now I have to try it! I have tried like crazy to get the print here on my blog, but no success yet, any special trick to it? I have the print and PDF capabilities, but would like to be able to print just the recipe..Have a great day Sally
LikeLiked by 1 person
here’s what I do. Make your recipe in any word format, then print it as a PDF. In my mac that command is “SAVE AS PDF”
now, in the wordpress editing window, you ask to INSERT MEDIA, just like you are going to add a picture
then UPLOAD FILE
SELECT FILE
click on your PDF saved as such
then you will see on the right the URL and underneath TITLE – change the TITLE to whatever hot link term you like. For me it’s always HERE… because my printable version goes with the phrase “to print the recipe click HERE”…
then click on “INSERT INTO POST”
that should work
LikeLike
Thanks Sally, I’ll give it a try..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hope you do!
LikeLike
I saw this late last night but forgot to finish my comment Sally! I have made a version of this before, but I dumped the entire bottle of peppers on it, ha! I love the homemade ranch, so much better. Pre-bottled ranch and those packets are disgusting. And YAY for making tacos with the leftovers!! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
you would be surprised as some stuff that ends up in the “taco-route” in our kitchen… 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gorgeous looking roast. I’d serve it with mashed potatoes (not a cauliflower fan) and a drizzle of the juice over the top.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That sounds even better! I happen to adore cauliflower, though… find myself making it instead of regular potatoes quite often
LikeLiked by 1 person
I never really cared for cauliflower growing up, and never ate it when it was served by my mom, though I DID try again recently to introduce it to my menu. The 2 dishes I made, buffalo ‘wings’ and aloo gobi, were pretty good, but I just haven’t made them again or tried one of the many ways people try to mask … err, repurpose cauliflower such as in place of rice in sushi or as a base for pizza.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It looks beautiful in the pot. Lovely shot that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it….
LikeLike