Comfort Food, Fit for Company, Fit for a Crowd

Every time I get together with Beth Setrakian, the conversation turns to food. Beth owns a cookie company called Beth’s Community Kitchen, but the cookies she makes there are just a small example of her talents. One night over dinner, she waxed exuberant over some of her favorite dishes, including “veal pot roast on a cloud.” “What’s that?” I asked. She replied that it was pot roast poking out of a bed of corn bread. Because I knew that Beth’s corn bread on its own is very special, I was intrigued, and I immediately set a date to visit her. In addition to this most delicious pot roast, was treated to her collard greens, black-eyed peas, hot rolls, roast beef, and coveted pecan pie. Making the corn bread “cloud” is very simple: It’s great on its own for a barbecue or any other occasion. You can also serve the pot roast “cloudless,” with a side of mashed or roasted potatoes (see Cook’s Note).

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (good choices are sage, thyme, winter savory, summer savory, tarragon, rosemary, dill, fennel, and/or basil; combine 2 or more)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 3- to 4-pound boneless veal shoulder roast such as shoulder clod, netted or tied
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 12 medium shallots, peeled
• 12 garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 celery stalks, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
• ⅓ pound pancetta, diced
• 2 cups homemade veal stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed

FOR THE CORN BREAD:

• 1⅓ cups cornmeal
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup whole milk
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted and still hot

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine 1½ tablespoons of the chopped herbs with 2½ teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Brush the veal with some of the oil and sprinkle the herb mixture all over the roast. (At this point, you can wrap the roast and refrigerate it overnight for more intense flavor.)
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. You will need a 14-inch cast-iron skillet or a large roasting pan (11 × 15 inches) to cook the veal so that there is ample room to scatter the vegetables around the roast and spread out the corn bread “cloud.” If you don’t own a 14-inch skillet, brown the meat in a large skillet and then transfer it to a large roasting pan. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the roast fat side down and brown all over, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the roast and set aside.
4. Pour off any fat from the skillet and add the white wine. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. (Transfer the liquid to a roasting pan, if using.) Lay the roast in the pan and scatter the shallots, garlic, celery, and pancetta around it. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper to taste and pour in the stock.
5. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Turn the roast and stir the vegetables and pancetta. Add more stock to the pan if the liquid has evaporated. Reseal with the foil. Bake for 35 minutes more, then turn the roast again so it is fat side up, but leave off the foil. Bake for 30 minutes more, or until the internal temperature reaches 145°F on an instant-read thermometer; taste the meat, which should be tender. It’s okay if most of the juices have evaporated, but don’t let the vegetables and pancetta burn.
6. Meanwhile, make the corn bread: Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg. Add the milk and beat until well blended. Add the egg-milk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the hot butter and beat until well blended.
7. Remove the roast from the oven and spoon the corn bread batter around the veal, covering the exposed area of the pan with the batter. Return to the oven and increase the oven temperature to 450°F. Bake for 20 minutes more, or until the corn bread is golden brown.
8. Present the roast on the cloud to your guests so they can ooh and aah. Then pull the roast from the corn bread, remove any string or netting, and cut it into thick slices. Serve each guest a couple of slices of veal and spoon up some of the corn bread, roasted vegetables, and pancetta.

ALTERNATIVE CUTS:

• Boneless veal breast, rolled and tied, or whole veal shank on the bone (cook for about 30 minutes longer).

COOK’S NOTE:

• If you choose to cook the roast without its corn bread cloud, cook the meat, covered, for 1½ to 2 hours, or until tender. Strain and degrease the juices. Serve the sliced meat with the juices and the roasted vegetables and pancetta.