After school in the fall of my junior year comprised of me coming home, saying hi to my mom, doing homework, then having a quick dinner before finishing homework and going back to bed. One day, however, I came home to a smell that instantly made my mouth water. The smell indicated the food was spicy, which is a common type of food in my house. My mother popped her head around the corner and declared that she was making a new dish. This resulted in a concerned look from my brother and I. The last time my mom tried a new meal, it was a horrific meatloaf that still cause nightmares to this day. When my mom told me that dinner was ready at around six o’clock, I came downstairs and the smell was aromatic but was still delicious. When I went to the pot to get the food, it was a shredded pot roast with pepperonicinis . On the side, there were onions that we could put on the roast. My mom had also toasted and buttered rolls if we wanted a sandwich. Instantly, this became my favorite dish. Coming home during midterms, finals, or just a bad day would be hard but coming home to a house that smelled amazing made the day a little better. However, this dinner is more than just taste. It  provides me a chance to sit down and talk to my family, which can be hard during the chaos of everyday. 

This is a dish that is fairly easily to make and is not a lot of money. The dish has two main ingredients: pot roast and pepperonicinis, hence the name Spicy Pot Roast. The other ingredients are common everyday items, such as butter, pepper, rosemary, and onions, meaning that the dish is around twenty dollars to make. It also serves about ten sandwiches, which is not a lot of money. My mom puts the roast, butter, pepper, and chicken broth in the pot to let the roast brown and then adds pepperonicinis. This is my mom’s favorite part of making the dish. She told me that, “Many people don’t think that the pepperonicinis would be one of the main components in a dish, but in the pot roast is it. Adding the whole jar was surprising at first, but it really impacts how good it tastes in the end. The smell from adding the jar is also amazing, which is why I love this dish so much”. Since she is the person who typically makes the dish she has grown to love it too. After adding the rosemary, the dish stays on low heat for around four and a half hours. We also add onions that are cooked towards that last five minutes of the main dish cooking, as well as toasting and buttering rolls. Due to the simplicity, my brother and I will occasionally made the dinner when my mom works. 

Similar to my first time having the dish, this was a dish that my mom made during the day. My brother and I never saw how the dish was made, we simply came home to the lovely smell. During midterms, I was very stressed. I was taking three AP courses and all my other classes were honors. The day before finals began, I came home and smelt the roast and my day instantly got a little better. My mom told me to stay downstairs to study and maybe the smell would help me relax. Despite being very stressed by calculus and AP statistics, the atmosphere of my living room did make the studying less painful. When I asked my mom about her relationship with the dish she told me, “I loved seeing you and your brother smile when you came home. I knew that making the dish would make you happy, and during stressful times in school I tried to make this dish to brighten your day up, even if it was only for an hour”. When I found this out, my appreciation for both my mom and the food grew. 

During the summer, I thought that I would try to make the dish for my mom. I found the recipe in one of her many cook books and was shocked. I thought I made a mistake because it seemed so simple. Since this recipe had a post-it note with a note that said, “Brooke’s favorite”, I knew it had to be the one. I followed the recipe and confirm that my mom was right, adding the pepperonicinis is the best part.  Soon, the smell filled the house and even my dog looked excited as she hoped to get a piece. I asked my mom what she thought I liked the dish so much and she said, “The smell! Even before you see it you instantly look happier. I think you since you like spicy food, the smell of the pepperonicinis triggers your happiness”. She is absolutely right. My favorite part, besides the taste, is the wonderful, one of a kind smell that the dish creates. 

This dish has to be my favorite meals I’ve ever had. Aside from just eating it, I am able to have a meal that we are all expected to sit down and talk. It becomes easy to make something quick and not have much of a conversion. My brother and I have homework and my mom has work or take care of everyday annoyances. Everyone in my family loves the spicy pot roast, including my dog whose cute staring pities one of us to give her a piece. Having a chance to talk with them always leads to laughter. Even after we finish eating, we are typically still at the table an hour later telling a funny story that happened that week. This meal has memories that makes me miss home, especially since I am three hours away.

Left to right-My brother Sam, my mom, and me

Recipe for Spicy Pot Roast

Ingredients-

One 3-4 lb chuck roast 

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons canola oil 

2 cups beef broth 

2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary

1 jar pepperoncinis

10-12 buttered toasted rolls

2 yellow onions, sliced and sauté in one tablespoon of butter in pot until light brown 

Directions-

1. Season roast with salt and pepper
2. Melt butter and oil in a heavy pot over high heat. Sear both sides of roast until very brown (five minutes) 
3. Pour beef broth and one cup of water, add rosemary and pepperoncinis with juice. Cover pot and simmer for four to five hours, or until meat is tender and falling apart 
4. Remove roast from pat and using two forks shred the meat
5. Return to meat to pot with liquid and keep warm
6. Serve on buttered, toasted roll with some liquid over and caramelized onions on top. Or dip sandwich into a small dipping bowl of the liquid