Slow Cooker Pot Roast

We have already taken a look at doing that old classic, pot roast, twice on The Left Chapter but today we are going to look at doing it in the slow cooker.

The very long cooking times of slow cooker pot roast make for a delicious meal and produces a tender version of a comfort food.

For slow cooker pot roast you want to use one of the "lesser" roasts (which are also the less expensive roasts) like chuck or blade roasts. We used one that was just over 4 pounds, but any roast in the 3-5 pound range works.

There are any number of ways to make slow cooker pot roast but we are going to do ours with some vegetables, in a fair amount of liquid, and with just a touch of heat for a slight extra kick of flavour.

The first step is to take out the roast about 45 minutes before the start of cooking and to season it liberally with freshly ground black pepper and with salt to taste. Then rub or brush 4 teaspoons of minced garlic in oil all over roast. You can make you own with around 4  garlic cloves and olive oil or use store bought. Let the seasoned roast sit for 45 minutes at room temperature.

When ready to cook, brown the roast on every side for around 4-6 minutes to get a good sear. If possible do this in a cast iron pan (ridged if you have one) that you have preheated to a medium-high heat on the stove top. 

Meanwhile, slice up 3-4 carrots into larger and long pieces and cut 2-3 celery stalks in half and add to the slow cooker. Place the browned roast into the cooker on top off and surrounded by the vegetables. 

Pour into the cooker 3 cups of beef broth and 1 cup of red wine. Add to this the contents of one large packet of onion soup mix. Then add 6-12 pickled or fresh jalapeno slices, 1-2 teaspoons of a Tabasco or Cholula style hot sauce and 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. 

Finally, if you have it, I like to sprinkle 1 teaspoon of Vegeta seasoning over the roast just prior to cooking. 

Put the top on your cooker, set to low, and cook for 8-10 hours. If you have the time, the closer to ten hours you can go, the better!

When cooking is complete serve sliced with the vegetables and some of the very rich broth that the cooking will produce. The meat will be very moist and there will be either a hint or a slight bite of heat depending on how much jalapeno and hot sauce you used. 

Pairs nicely with mashed potatoes and salad, and, of course, a red wine of your choosing.

Enjoy. 

See also: 12-Hour Slow Cooked Caribbean-Style Oxtail

See also: Stove-top Yankee Pot Roast