- When it comes to classic comfort food,
it's hard to beat this slow cooker pot roast.
It's honestly one of the easiest recipes to make
and it serves up meltingly tender meat
along with chunky, good for you veggies
that fill you up in the best way possible.
Pot roast is always a popular recipe during the holidays
but this version is so darn easy,
after you sear the big hunk of meat,
that it is perfect for any Sunday dinner,
I'd say from now until spring.
I'll walk you through everything you need to know
on how to make pot roast today,
including what kind of meat to use.
So, let's dive right in.
To get started, you'll need to prep just a few vegetables
for the slow cooker.
Peel and trim four carrots
and then cut them into large chunks.
You don't wanna cut the carrots too small
as they'll be in the slow cooker for about eight hours
and they'll go way too soft if they're cut small.
So, big chunks are definitely better.
And I'm cutting them on a diagonal
just because it looks kind of fancy.
You'll wanna do the same thing with three ribs of celery.
So, just slice those into large chunks.
And I should also add that,
depending on the size of your slow cooker,
if you have room,
you're always welcome to add more carrots and celery
around the pot roast.
Next, you'll quarter 1 1/2 pounds of small white potatoes.
You want waxy potatoes like new potatoes, red potatoes,
or Yukon Golds
and not russet potatoes
as russets will completely disintegrate in the slow cooker.
If you can find baby or mini potatoes,
you can leave those whole or cut them in half,
it really just depends on their size.
Instead of finely dicing one onion,
as we often do in recipes,
you'll wanna cut this one into,
you guessed it,
large chunks.
I'll usually slice the onion three to four times
in each direction for big pieces.
And an added bonus is that you can slice the onion quickly
and have less tears, which you know, I'm a fan of.
And once that's done, just push it aside.
The last item you'll prep is four garlic cloves.
Give them a quick bash with the side of your knife
so that the skins come off
then peel them
and give them a rough chop.
You don't need them finely minced.
I just slice them
and then run my knife through them a couple of times.
All right, let's talk about this big hunk of meat.
You'll need 3 1/2 pounds of beef chuck roast.
Chuck roast is my favorite meat for slow cooker pot roast
as it's perfectly marbled,
which gives it lots of flavor
and it's super tender and easy to shred
but brisket and bottom round roast
are great alternatives,
if you can't find chuck roast.
I always think it's good to have a few backup options
when you're at the market.
Season both sides of the meat very generously
with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
You'll want about one teaspoon of salt
and half a teaspoon of black pepper per side.
Kosher salt is always the best option for seasoning meat
as it has larger flakes
which makes it pinchable
and you can evenly distribute it across the meat.
And yes,
I did wash my hands after flipping the meat
and before dipping my fingers back in my salt cellar.
And you can add extra salt and pepper on the edges
or just kind of rub what you have all over the meat.
Heat a large cast iron pan on medium high heat
and add two tablespoons of avocado oil.
I prefer avocado oil for this as it's a high heat oil
and you've probably noticed by now
that I use it anytime I'm searing
or using high temps on the stove.
The meat should instantly sizzle when it hits the pan
and you wanna cook it undisturbed
for about four to five minutes to get a good sear and crust
on that bottom side.
And then to flip it, since it is such a big piece of meat,
I use two tongs
but, however, you can gracefully or not so gracefully
flip it.
Well, I will leave that up to you
and then you'll cook it on the other side
for another four to five minutes.
Searing the meat is what gives pot roast
such incredible flavor.
And, while I understand it's an extra step
before going into the slow cooker,
trust me, it's one you don't wanna skip,
even if it does add splatters all over your stove
and possibly set off your smoke detector
like it did with me.
(smoke detector rings)
And yes, my air vent was on as well.
If you can balance the chuck roast on end,
definitely sear the edges as well
then transfer the meat to a plate
and over to your slow cooker
or, if your slow cooker is right next to your stove,
you can simply plop it right in.
On top of the meat, you'll add the garlic
and the sliced vegetables
as well as a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme
and a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary.
I also love to add a couple of bay leaves for extra flavor.
Now, you can add the potatoes next or the liquids.
It really doesn't matter
but for the liquids,
you'll need two cups of beef broth
and one cup of red wine.
I'm using a Pinot Noir
but any full bodied red that you enjoy drinking
works great in the pot roast.
And the good news is
that once you've opened a bottle of wine for the pot roast,
you can, of course, enjoy the remainder of wine in a glass
with dinner.
The last item to go into the slow cooker is the potatoes
and I just spread them out evenly across the top
then add the lid.
The pot roast will take about eight hours on low.
And, if you've been following along on my Instagram stories
while I've been shopping for a new slow cooker,
this is the one I recently purchased
and I'll link to it below.
When the pot roast is done,
use tongs to remove the rosemary, thyme
and bay leaves
and then carefully transfer the chuck roast
from the slow cooker
and place it on a cutting board.
You might need two tongs for this part
because, if you've cooked the meat long enough,
it will likely start falling apart
as you attempt to move it.
Now, this step is totally optional
but if you'd like to slightly thicken in the pot roast juice
and make more of a gravy,
you can add two tablespoons of arrowroot powder
along with three tablespoons of water to a bowl,
stir that together
then add it back to the slow cooker for a couple of minutes
while you shred the meat.
It won't make a really thick gravy
but if you do prefer a thick gravy,
I've got an extra tip for you on the blog post.
As you can see the meat literally falls apart
just going through it with two forks.
It's so tender and juicy
but if you find that your meat doesn't tread easily,
you can slice it with a knife
or toss it back in the slow cooker
for another 30 minutes to an hour
until it is tender.
And, FYI, I don't shred this as much
as I might for something like caritas.
I like to keep the pieces a bit bigger
and more chunky.
Once that's done, transfer the meat to a serving platter,
if you're serving it up for guests,
and then scoop out the veggies
and add those to the platter as well.
I use my large skimmer to do this
but you could also use a large slotted spoon.
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Lastly, drizzle extra juices from the slow cooker
over the meat
and, if you'd like,
you can add a cup or two of the juices to a small bowl
or a gravy boat
and serve it up alongside the platter.
For a finishing touch,
chop up a tablespoon or two of parsley
and sprinkle it over the meat and veggies
before serving
and that's it.
Your pot roast recipe is done.
Pot roast is a personal favorite of mine
on cold and rainy days.
I think there's just something so comforting
and soothing about it.
(lighthearted music)
I hope you guys enjoyed this recipe
and if you did, make sure to give it a thumbs up,
share it with your family and friends
and I will see you again in the next video.
(lighthearted music)