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TMc's Pot Roast

This recipe will fill a 6-quart slow cooker nearly to overflowing, so govern yourself and your recipe scaling accordingly.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 11 hours
Total Time 13 hours
Servings 8
Author TMc

Ingredients

  • 4-5 pound Boneless beef chuck roast
  • 4-5 Medium-large Yukon gold potatoes (you can use regular Idaho potatoes, but I prefer Yukons in my slow cooker recipes as they soak up juices and never get mealy)
  • 1 Medium sweet yellow onion
  • 1 Bag of baby carrots (about 1 lb bag - not the snack size little guy bags)
  • 2 Large Portobello mushroom caps (you can use whole Baby Bellas if needed, just know that a meaty mushroom is important here, as nothing soaks up the juices from the roast quite so beautifully)
  • 1 Packet brown gravy mix (I strongly prefer Pioneer brand if you can get it)
  • 1 cup Wine (your preference - white or rose will have a subtle flavor, red will be very strong)
  • Soy sauce
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Garlic salt (Lawry's Seasoned Salt is good here too if you have it)
  • Black pepper
  • Flour
  • 2 TBSP Vegetable or other high-heat-friendly oil
  • Cooking spray

Instructions

  • Scrub and chop potatoes into big bites (but not big enough to require cutting to eat)
  • Peel and chop onion into generous chunks (thinking bite-sized again)
  • Wash and chop portabella mushroom caps into generous chunks (bite-sized)
  • Wash baby carrots
  • Dump all veggies into a slow cooker sprayed with cooking spray
  • Sprinkle veggies with garlic salt, black pepper, and any other herbs of choice (I am fond of using dried parsley and marjoram with my pot roast)
  • Toss veggies by hand to mix spices/herbs and the veggies themselves
  • Rub all sides of the roast with a generous drizzle of soy and Worcestershire sauces
  • Rub all sides of the roast with a light coating of flour
  • Sprinkle all sides of the roast with garlic salt and black pepper
  • Pre-heat a big ol' skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, add a little oil to the pan, and brown roast about 3-4 minutes per side
  • Set the browned roast on top of the veggies in the slow cooker - if one side is fattier than the other, that is the side that faces upwards
  • Whisk the gravy mix into the wine until smooth
  • Pour wine gravy mix over roast into slow cooker
  • Cover slow cooker and cook on LOW setting for 11 hours or HIGH for 8 hours (Do NOT remove the lid to check on things for at least 8 hours if cooking on LOW, or at least 6 hours if cooking on HIGH)
  • When you check the roast, spoon liquid up over the roast, and give the roast a “fork” test to see how far you are from being done – at this point it should be starting to feel “fork tender” - you will know it's perfect when you twist a fork into the meat and a bite of roast essentially jumps up onto the utensil and begs to be taste-tested

Notes

  • The flour is important before browning as it will really thicken up your gravy while the roast is cooking.
  • Sweet potatoes are also surprisingly tasty in this.
  • I sometimes use a can of cream of mushroom soup mixed with the wine if I am after a thicker, more "homestyle" gravy that day.
  • Looking for a simpler, "lighter" pot roast? Use white wine, an au jus gravy mix, no flour on the meat when searing, and just lay it on a bed of thick-sliced onions in the slow cooker (this version is perfection for sammiches - crusty rolls are a must).
  • Mom’s version for all-purpose use: layer a sliced large sweet onion in the bottom of the slow cooker, seasons your roast with Cavender’s Greek Seasoning, brown it good in a skillet with butter, dump it on the onions, add nothing else, cook on low for 8-10 hours depending on meat size.