Guardian Service - A Family Tradition

Growing up everyone in our family used Guardian Service.  My maternal great-grandma, paternal great-grandpa, maternal grandma, paternal grandma, my mom and my dad all had this amazing aluminum cookware. 

After I got married my maternal grandma gave me an extra Guardian Service Roaster that she had stored away.  I only have one piece, but could not imagine cooking without it.  My favorite thing to cook in the roaster is pot roast, but I also use it for roasting chicken and the Thanksgiving turkey. 

My paternal grandma would make the most delicious pot roast in her roaster for family gatherings.  So I have learned my pot roast recipe from her and of course I have a few tweaks here and there.  Grandma doesn’t do as much cooking now as in her younger days, but the tastes and smells of those dinners with her roast and great-grandpa’s homemade applesauce still come to mind with happy remembrance. 

Grandma’s Pot Roast

Splash some cooking oil into the roaster (I usually use canola oil).  Then set the stovetop to medium and warm the oil.  In the mean time season both sides of the chuck roast with ground salt, ground pepper, and garlic salt. 

Place the roast in the roaster and brown both sides about 5 to 7 minutes each.   Turn the heat down to low and add a tall glass of water and cover with glass lid.  Careful, it will really pop and bubble when the water hits the oil. 

Simmer the roast for about one hour.  Flip the meat, then add a bag of baby carrots, one sliced onion, and three to four cloves of garlic- season to taste.  About an hour later add five to six peeled and quartered potatoes- season to taste.  Keep an eye on the liquid level.  If all of the liquid cooks out, then the carrots and potatoes may burn.

Cook approximately one more hour, then dish up some really yummy grub. 

Note:  Grandma would also make gravy from the drippings.  She would spoon some of the drippings out into a small tin cup and add some corn starch to thicken then stir it back into the roaster.  She would add a bit water to get it to the desired consistency.  I’m not huge on gravy, so usually skip this step.