Yes, the celery is missing. Yes, now that the rest of it is cooking, we’ll hurry to the store to buy a stalk.
When the girls were barely old enough to go trick or treating, I (Kate) decided we needed to develop a traditional Halloween meal that could 1) be prepared ahead of time without inducing decision fatigue; 2) be sufficiently substantial to offset the day’s candy intake; and 3) taste so delicious that it could tempt bellies already satiated with sweets (back then, I naively thought they’d be eating treats at school Halloween parties as I had. I did not forsee parents who would buy pencils, plastic jewelry, and stickers instead of candy. Nor had I an inkling that I myself might collude with them).
After reading a multitude of french dip sandwich recipes, I concocted the following. The first year I made it, I felt so proud as they sat happily around the table and ate it. I knew they were fortified for the candy to come. Then we went trick or treating and Lucia wanted to turn back after the first two houses. Where was her American capitalist spirit? We encouraged her along. “Free candy,” we explained. “Free candy!” I had developed a recipe solely in preparation for trick or treating and she didn’t even want to do it. Finally, she sat down on the sidewalk and refused to move any direction other than homeward. However, she is the one of us who loves this recipe the very most, and pleads to have it more than once a year (which we happily do).
FRENCH DIP SANDWICHES
Serves 10
1 4-pound rump roast, exterior layer of fat trimmed and discarded
1 tablespoon salt, plus more to taste before serving
1 large onion, chopped into 6 parts
1 stalk celery, chopped into three parts
2 carrots, peeled and chopped into large pieces (or a quarter pound of baby carrots)
2–4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled1 bay leaf
3 whole black peppercorns
3 sprigs fresh thyme (or two teaspoons if dried)
3 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon if dried)
1/4 cup soy sauce
Fresh ground pepper (add at the end of cooking)
Make sure to serve the meat on hearty hamburger or hotdog buns. If you want to make your own, these are perfect. We have a magical gas station near our house that sells fresh Stoneground brand buns on Mondays and Fridays, so we often use those.
Sprinkle salt on all sides of the roast, then place it in the slow cooker, fattiest side up. Tuck vegetables around the sides in the order they are written (onion, celery, carrot). Place garlic and herbs on top of the roast and pour soy sauce over the top. Fill the pot within three inches of the top with water. Cook on low for 10-12 hours.
Use two forks to break the meat up into large bite-size-ish pieces. Then taste to check the salt and pepper--add more if necessary. Place meat on top of a bun (also delicious with mayonnaise, if you’re so inclined), and add some of the cooked onions before placing the second half of the bun on top. Discard the herbs, celery, and garlic (eat the carrots!), and ladle the hot jus into small serving bowls for dunking the sandwiches as you eat.
