One Of The Most Quintessential Boomer Meals Is Still A Classic, Versatile Choice Today

Among younger generations the label Boomer has had a pejorative connotation for a while now, but there is no denying that they got a few things right when it comes to food. For those of us that grew up with Boomers as parents, the quality of dinners isn't always looked back on fondly. Coming of age in the time of the microwave and Hamburger Helper, then becoming parents during the backlash against fat and salt, Boomers developed cooking habits that blended boxed and frozen convenience foods alongside sides of steamed or boiled (and usually) unseasoned vegetables to make sure it was "healthy." But every generation has culinary traditions worth preserving, and for Boomers, one of those meals is pot roast.

Slow-cooked, tender pot roast carries on some of the most noble traditions in home cooking. Usually made from cheap cuts like chuck roast or bottom round, it uses low heat to gradually break down the tough muscle fibers into something delicious, juicy, and shreddable. Beef was seen as a symbol of post-war abundance, so pot roast was the perfect marriage of the tastes of the time, convenience, and cost. It was meaty without breaking the bank, and you could set it and forget it as it cooked for hours in the pot. It also happens to be incredibly delicious and comforting, even if you don't have any nostalgia for it.

Part of the appeal of a classic pot roast is its simplicity; the roast cooks with the vegetables and a braising liquid that becomes the sauce, but that doesn't mean you can get creative with it. There are dozens of great pot roast recipes with easy variations to fit any flavor palette. Even for a pot roast that hews close to the Boomer ideal you can add some beer or red wine to the braising liquid for an extra punch of flavor, or slow cook extra onions in the gravy for a French onion soup variation. Mississippi roast is a take on the dish that flavors the meat with a ranch dressing packet and gets a little heat from pepperoncini.

But pot roast can go so much farther than that. If brown gravy isn't your thing, then feast your eyes on the Italian pot roast stracotto, which braises the meat in a sauce of red and tomatoes. You can add some red pepper or Calabrian chiles for some spice too. In fact almost any flavor combo that goes with beef will work with pot roast. Mix some soy sauce, gochujang, sesame oil, and brown sugar into your beef broth and serve with kimchi for a Korean-inspired pot roast. Just because you are honoring a boomer tradition doesn't mean you have to season like one.