Pot Roast
BEHOLD. Pot roast season is finally upon us! Yesterday, I dusted off my crockpot for the first time in months and filled that beautiful machine up to the brim with root vegetables, hearty broth, and a deliciously seasoned and plump cut of beef. I have to say; it was divine. I love slow cooker meals because when you’re busy, you can do all the prep work the night before so that in the morning, all you have to do is brown the meat, saute the vegetables (or don’t), and throw all of your ingredients together into a crockpot. Set it and forget it, people!
For this recipe, I like to use a chuck, rump, brisket, and bottom or top round for the meat, and then garlic, onions, celery, carrots, and potatoes for the vegetables. I like to use parsnips or mushrooms, depending on who I’m making the meal for and what their ingredient preferences are, but in my mind, the more the merrier. For my take on this classic dish. I add red wine, Worcestershire sauce, cream of mushroom soup, a Lipton onion soup packet, and fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary to create its robust signature flavor. As a result, the meat is juicy, and the broth tastes rich.
Respect the crew
Brown the meat for around 4 minutes on each side so the pot roast has a nice sear all over it before it tenderizes in the crockpot
Making a pot roast is easy and very hard to mess up. As long as you keep the lid of the crockpot closed for eight hours and only open it to flip the meat and stir things up at the halfway mark, you’re in the clear. Chopping and sauteeing the vegetables and searing the beef are the only steps that require your effort or attention. Honestly; you don’t even have to follow my order of operations regarding what component goes before what inside the pot. I’ve seen people put the aromatics on the bottom, the soups before the meat, and so on. Either way you place it, your roast will be fine so long as you don’t open the lid for the first four hours.
Chuck, rump, brisket, and top or bottom round meat are tough cuts of beef, which is why they’re perfect for slow cooking. Over time, the meat will develop a deeper flavor and tenderize in the braising liquid until it’s flavorful and easy to shred. Making a delicious pot roast takes time, about six to eight hours worth cooking on low heat for the meat to soften and fall apart, which is why you can’t rush a good pot roast. I also add a lot more carrots, potatoes, etc than most other people do because I think half of the plate should be vegetables. It’s why this recipe is so healthy and nourishing.
Potatoes and carrots as the base
Then layer on onions, celery, and garlic
Followed by the fresh herbs directly under the meat
I also think you should always use fresh herbs when making a pot roast because they taste stronger than dried herbs do. I often find that when recipes call for dry ingredients like rosemary or thyme they get lost in the sauce so to speak, so if you can find fresh herbs in the supermarket make sure to incorporate them into this recipe so you can get more flavor from the meal.
Add in your red wine to the crockpot
Then pour on the beef broth over the meat and vegetable
Finally, dump on your soup/soup mix and close the lid
I like to remove the vegetables around the six-hour mark, so they don’t get too soft, but they fully absorb the flavor from the broth and meat juices. I’m firmly in the camp of tender but not mushy vegetables, so I quickly scoop everything but the meat out and place it aside, covered, in a deep bowl. I then add the vegetables back into the pot during the last hour of its six to eight-hour total cook time. Additionally, making gravy out of the broth in the slow cooker is practically mandatory for me. To do this, use a roux to thicken the broth by combing flour and butter to create a paste. Whisk melted butter and flour in a pot on medium heat, add the broth, and there you have it.
Always use fresh herbs to give the dish a nice color pop when serving
Dudes. I can’t emphasize enough that you should always make gravy out of the leftover braising liquid in the pot
Ingredients
~3-4lb chuck, rump, brisket, top or bottom round
1 lb cippolini onions, quartered
1 lb baby potatoes, halved
1 lb baby carrots
8 cloves of garlic, 4 minced, and 4 whole
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 10.75 ounces can of cream of mushroom soup
1-ounce package dry onion soup mix
2 cups of beef broth
1/2 cup of red wine
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2-3 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Garnish with chopped parsley
(optional): 1/2 lb of parsnips, peeled and quartered
(optional): 1/2 lb of cremini, shiitake, or white button mushrooms
(optional): 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
Cooking Instructions
Clean and chop the vegetables, measure out the ingredients, and set them aside
Season the roast on all sides with salt and pepper
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Place the roast on the pan, fat side up, and brown on each side for 4-5 minutes. On the fat side, brown for 2-3 minutes
Remove the roast from heat and set aside
In a large crockpot on low heat, dump in the vegetables and place the roast on top. Pour in all liquid ingredients, including the brown sugar, soup mix, and bay leaves. Cover the crockpot and DO NOT open for at least 4 hours
Flip the roast at the 4th hour and cover
Check around the 6th hour to see if the meat is tender and shredding by using a fork to pull off a piece of meat. Additionally, check to see the texture of the vegetables at this time. If they are at your desired tenderness, but the meat is not tenderized yet, remove them and set them aside, making sure to add them in again an hour before serving
Remove the roast from the crockpot at the sixth to 8th-hour mark and plate. Garnish with parsley or serve with gravy and enjoy
