Slow Cooker Pot Roast
This is one challenge I'm up for! Today I'm making my Slow Cooker Pot Roast.
Equipment
- 1 cast-iron skillet 12-inch
- 1 slow cooker 7-quart
- 3 mixing bowls 2 large and 1 small
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 cutting board
Ingredients
Ingredients for Searing the Chuck Roast:
- 3 pound chuck roast Room temperature
- 2 tbsps Canola oil
- 2 tbsps garlic powder
- 2 tbsps kosher salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper Freshly-ground
Ingredients for the Slow Cooker:
- 3 pound seared chuck roast
- 2 onions Quartered
- 5 cloves garlic Roughly chopped
- 3 tbsps tomato paste
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 quarts + 1/2 cup beef stock Unsalted (reserve 1/2 cup for *slurry)
- 1 pound organic colored carrots Cut into 2-inch pieces
- 5 medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes Quartered
- 2 pints whole cremini mushrooms Cleaned
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper Freshly-ground
- 3 heaping tbsps cornstarch
Instructions
- I needed to start with a pan that could hold this 3-pound piece of chuck roast. Yes, an affordable yet so forgiving piece of chuck roast. I compare this piece of meat to the Boston pork butt of the beef family. Lots of marbling and fat running through it. Cooking low and slow, this fat will melt and add so much flavor to the finished chuck roast.Start by allowing the meat to sit out on the counter until it reaches room temperature, about 30 minutes. Next, season the chuck roast, on both sides, with 2 tablespoons of kosher salt, 2 tablespoons of garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon of fresh-ground black pepper. Pour 2 tablespoons of Canola oil onto a sheet of paper towel. Wipe the bottom of the skillet down using the oil-dampened paper towel.Preheat the skillet over medium-high heat. Just as it starts to smoke, lay the meat right into the skillet. No matter what, don't fuss with it. The meat will let you know when it's ready to flip. How can you tell? Take your tongs and try to lift the roast. If it gives you no resistance, it's ready to flip in 3-5 minutes. Cook for another 3-5 minutes on the other side. Once both sides are beautifully caramelized, transfer the roast to a plate. Set aside.Still over medium-high heat, *deglaze the skillet by adding 1/2 cup of beef stock. Take a wooden spoon and scrape up all those delicious bits from the bottom of the skillet. Transfer the liquid to a bowl. Set aside.To the slow cooker, add the quartered onions, sliced garlic, and tomato paste. Next, place the roast, nestling it right on top with two sprigs of fresh rosemary. First, add the reserved deglazing liquid. Add enough beef stock to the Crockpot so that it comes 3/4 of the way up the sides of the roast. Place the lid on, and set the timer for 4 hours on high.3 1/2 hours into cooking, remove the roast and transfer it to a cutting board. Add the carrots, cremini mushrooms, potatoes, kosher salt, and fresh-ground black pepper.What I like to do at this point is... the meat is starting to become somewhat tender. It's easy enough at this point to remove any connective fatty pieces. Trim those all off and cut the meat into large chunks. Place the meat back in the oven over the veggies and continue cooking for another 2 hours.During this part of the cooking process, the veggies will release their water, and the meat will absorb the juices.After six hours, the slow cooker is at a slow boil, and it's time to make the *slurry. In a small bowl, add 1/2 cup beef broth with cornstarch, whisk until it's a paste-like consistency, and combine.Add the *Slurry to the slow cooker and give a gentle stir to combine. Continue to cook for another 10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Set the Crockpot on warm until you're ready to serve.To serve, I like to add the potatoes and vegetables to the bottom of the bowl. Place the meat on top and ladle that delicious sauce over everything. This dish does not require a knife. The meat is so tender that it will break apart using only a fork. After Steve took his first bite, he said, "This is the best Pot Roast I've ever had!"There you have it, my Slow Cooker Pot Roast.
Notes
1) *Slurry: A thin paste of water and starch (flour, cornstarch, or arrowroot), which is added to hot preparations (such as soups, stews, and sauces) as a thickener. After the slurry is added, the mixture is typically stirred and cooked for a few minutes to thicken and lose any raw taste.
2) *Deglazing is to dilute meat sediments in a pan to make gravy or sauce, typically using wine or stock.
3) While the meat is searing, quarter the onions and roughly chop the garlic.
4) The liquid may vary depending on the size of the slow cooker. You want the liquid to come up 3/4 of the way up the sides of the roast.
5) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.