Slow Cooked Pot Roast (Printable version)

Hearty slow braised beef with carrots, celery, and potatoes enriched by savory herbs and broth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beef

01 - 3 lbs beef chuck roast, trimmed

→ Vegetables

02 - 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
03 - 3 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
04 - 1 large yellow onion, cut into wedges
05 - 1.5 lbs baby potatoes, halved

→ Flavorings

06 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
08 - 2 cups beef broth, gluten-free if needed
09 - 1 cup dry red wine (optional; may substitute with additional broth)
10 - 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, gluten-free if needed
11 - 2 tsp salt
12 - 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
13 - 2 tsp dried thyme
14 - 2 tsp dried rosemary
15 - 2 bay leaves

→ For Searing

16 - 2 tbsp olive oil

# How to Prepare:

01 - Pat the beef chuck roast dry and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the roast on all sides until deeply browned, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the roast to the slow cooker.
03 - In the same skillet, add onion and garlic and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook for an additional minute.
04 - Deglaze the skillet with red wine, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
05 - Place carrots, celery, and potatoes around the beef roast in the slow cooker. Pour the skillet mixture over the top.
06 - Pour beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and bay leaves into the slow cooker.
07 - Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours until the beef is tender and vegetables are cooked through.
08 - Remove bay leaves. Shred the beef into large pieces and serve with the vegetables and cooking liquid.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • You can start it before your first coffee and come home to a meal that tastes like you fussed all day.
  • The vegetables soak up every bit of that savory, wine-dark sauce and turn sweet and silky.
  • Leftovers somehow taste even better the next day, which means lunch is already handled.
02 -
  • If you skip the searing step, the meat will still cook through but youll miss that deep, caramelized flavor that makes this taste homemade instead of just boiled.
  • Dont lift the lid to check on it every hour, each peek lets out heat and adds another thirty minutes to the cooking time.
  • If your sauce seems thin at the end, scoop out a cup, whisk in a tablespoon of cornstarch, and stir it back in to thicken everything up beautifully.
03 -
  • Choose a roast with visible marbling, the fat melts into the meat and keeps everything juicy instead of stringy.
  • Let the skillet get properly hot before you add the beef, a good sear happens fast and locks in all that beefy flavor.
  • Taste the sauce before serving and add a pinch more salt or a splash of Worcestershire if it needs a boost, slow cooking can dull seasoning over time.

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