My pot roast recipe
I made this recipe a few weeks back, and it was the best roast I've ever made. Admittedly, I've usually just tried throwing everything in the crock pot, without pre-cooking/browning anything. It really is worth the extra time, though, and there are instructions for prepping it the night before so you can just throw everything in the morning of. I'll post the recipe as it was written (out of America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook), and then I'll mention the changes that I made.
I have one of these cooking right now...I prepped mine this morning, so the house is already filled with that yummy roast-and-onions-and-garlic smell. *drools*
Enjoy!
Slow-Cooker Country-style Pot Roast
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Main Dish Beef Dishes
Crockpot Tried & True
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 chuck roast -- 5-6 pounds
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 each onions -- chopped medium
1 pound carrots -- peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 each garlic cloves -- minced
1 cup dry red wine
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 Tablespoon minced fresh thyme -- or 1 teaspoon dried
3 each bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
Dry the roast with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the roast on all sides, reducing the heat if the fat begins to smoke, about 10 minutes. Add the roast to the slow cooker.
Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions, carrots, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook until the vegetables are softeneed, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Stir in the wine, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half, about 1 minute, then pour into the slow cooker.
Add the tomatoes, broths, thyme, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes to the slow cooker. Cover and cook, on either low or high, until the meat is tender, 9 to 10 hours on low or 6 to 7 hours on high.
Transfer the roast to a carving board and tend loosely with foil. Let the cooking liquid settle for 5 minutes, then use a wide spoon to skim the fat off the surface. Discard the bay leaves. Puree the cooking liquid and vegetables in batches in a blender or a food processor until smooth (or use an immersion blender right in the slow cooker). Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Untie the roast and slice 1/2 inch thick. Arrange the meat on a warmed serving platter and pour 1 cup of the sauce over the top. Serve, passing the remaining sauce separately
NOTES : To Make Ahead
The night before (or a day in advance), prepare the recipe through step 2. Instead of adding the ingredients to the slow cooker, refrigerate them, but be sure to store the browned meat in one container and the remaining ingredients in another container. In the morning, add the chilled ingredients to the slow cooker and proceed with step 3. The cooking time will be on the high end of the range given the recipe.
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Changes that I made:
- I didn't use the tomatoes, because I don't like a tomato-y gravy.
- I didn't use the red pepper flakes, because the other members of my family wouldn't like it
- I didn't really measure anything, but kept the amounts approximately true to the recipe
- I used chuck roast, but have never seen one that is "tied". There are notes in the original recipe that talk about chuck roasts coming in elastic netting that needs to be removed, but then retied with butcher's twine. I just used my chuck roast as it was with no netting/ties, and it was fine
- Today I'm skipping the carrots because I didn't have any. I'm disappointed about this because that was one of the things I really liked about this recipe...no one really seems to like the cooked carrots, so pureeing them in the gravy was a nice way to get them eaten, and I think added richness to the gravy. It will be interesting to see how it tasted today without them.
- Today I'm also using a sirloin tip roast, because I had one in the freezer that needed to be used (purchased back before I figured out that I really prefer chuck roasts). It seemed a little lean, so I hope it turns out ok.
I have one of these cooking right now...I prepped mine this morning, so the house is already filled with that yummy roast-and-onions-and-garlic smell. *drools*
Enjoy!
Slow-Cooker Country-style Pot Roast
Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Main Dish Beef Dishes
Crockpot Tried & True
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 chuck roast -- 5-6 pounds
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 each onions -- chopped medium
1 pound carrots -- peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 each garlic cloves -- minced
1 cup dry red wine
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 Tablespoon minced fresh thyme -- or 1 teaspoon dried
3 each bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
Dry the roast with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the roast on all sides, reducing the heat if the fat begins to smoke, about 10 minutes. Add the roast to the slow cooker.
Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions, carrots, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook until the vegetables are softeneed, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Stir in the wine, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half, about 1 minute, then pour into the slow cooker.
Add the tomatoes, broths, thyme, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes to the slow cooker. Cover and cook, on either low or high, until the meat is tender, 9 to 10 hours on low or 6 to 7 hours on high.
Transfer the roast to a carving board and tend loosely with foil. Let the cooking liquid settle for 5 minutes, then use a wide spoon to skim the fat off the surface. Discard the bay leaves. Puree the cooking liquid and vegetables in batches in a blender or a food processor until smooth (or use an immersion blender right in the slow cooker). Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Untie the roast and slice 1/2 inch thick. Arrange the meat on a warmed serving platter and pour 1 cup of the sauce over the top. Serve, passing the remaining sauce separately
NOTES : To Make Ahead
The night before (or a day in advance), prepare the recipe through step 2. Instead of adding the ingredients to the slow cooker, refrigerate them, but be sure to store the browned meat in one container and the remaining ingredients in another container. In the morning, add the chilled ingredients to the slow cooker and proceed with step 3. The cooking time will be on the high end of the range given the recipe.
-------------------------------------------
Changes that I made:
- I didn't use the tomatoes, because I don't like a tomato-y gravy.
- I didn't use the red pepper flakes, because the other members of my family wouldn't like it
- I didn't really measure anything, but kept the amounts approximately true to the recipe
- I used chuck roast, but have never seen one that is "tied". There are notes in the original recipe that talk about chuck roasts coming in elastic netting that needs to be removed, but then retied with butcher's twine. I just used my chuck roast as it was with no netting/ties, and it was fine
- Today I'm skipping the carrots because I didn't have any. I'm disappointed about this because that was one of the things I really liked about this recipe...no one really seems to like the cooked carrots, so pureeing them in the gravy was a nice way to get them eaten, and I think added richness to the gravy. It will be interesting to see how it tasted today without them.
- Today I'm also using a sirloin tip roast, because I had one in the freezer that needed to be used (purchased back before I figured out that I really prefer chuck roasts). It seemed a little lean, so I hope it turns out ok.