the nest pot roast

Photo by The Culinary Nest

Falling apart, tender & juicy… this pot roast will become a household staple for you, too! The prep time is hardly time consuming and then you just sit back and let the slow-cooker fill your house with the best aroma there is until its time for dinner.

The red wine is really the star of the flavor for this pot roast (you can most definitely make it without but but I highly recommend the addition). The key to the depth of flavor in this roast starts with searing the meat and vegetables prior to adding them into the slow cooker. I love to serve my pot roast with Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, but you can also add potatoes to the mix and add them right into the slow cooker for a true “one pot dish”.

Recipe by: The Culinary Nest

MAKES

6-8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 4-6 on high, 6-8 hours on low

INGREDIENTS

3.5-4lbs. beef chuck roast

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt & Pepper

4 carrots, peeled and cut Into 1” pieces

2 celery stalks, washed, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces

1 yellow onion, peeled, cut in half and then cut into strips

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 sprigs each fresh rosemary & thyme

3 bay leaves

2 cups red wine (I recommend a heavy bodied red)

3-4 cups beef broth

More Salt & Pepper

METHOD

1. Start by turning your empty slow cooker on high and cover with the lid while you prep. Pat your beef roast dry with a paper towel and season generously with salt & pepper on all sides, including the thick edges.

2. Heat a large pan over medium/high heat and add the olive oil (you want enough to throughly coat the bottom of the pan). One heated place the roast into the pan, you should have a nice sizzle sound going on, if its splattering a lot it is too hot, and if it isn’t strong enough turn the heat up, we want to create a browned crust. After about 5 minutes, flip the beef roast to the other large side for another 5 minutes (or longer if not seared to a golden brown). Using tongs, carefully sear the thick sides of the roasted. Once all sides are seared, place the roast on the bottom of your slow cooker, and return the lid.

3. Now add the carrots, celery & onion to the same pan used to sear the meat over medium heat. Salt and pepper the mixture now and add a little more oil if needed. The vegetables will begin to sweat after a minute or two which will create enough moisture for any browned bits that are on the bottom of the pan from the roast searing to release and mix into the veggies- this is full flavor and you want that! Stir the vegetables occasionally for about 6-8 minutes until some edges are browned on them. Add the garlic and stir for one more minute.

4. While the veggies are searing, place the rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves on top of the roast in the slow cooker. When the veggies are ready, carefully and using tongs, pour them over top of the herbs and meat into the slow cooker.

5. Gently pour the red wine and beef broth over the mixture. You should be able to see the liquid around the edges of the mixture, but not completely covering. Scrape and garlic left in the large pan if there is any over the top along with one last generous dusting of salt & pepper.

6. I like to start my slow cooker on high for about an hour to get it going good, and then I turn it down to low for the remaining 5-6 hours (I think having the low setting for longer creates a more tender meat). You can also do the low setting for the full 8 hours, or the high setting for 4-5 hours. Cover and let the slow cooker do the rest!

7. Serve over Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes for the perfect, warming dish!