Slow-Cooker Italian-Style Pot Roast
0 - Paleo, 2 - Crockpot - Tues, Beef
Ingredients
8 slices bacon, chopped
2 onions, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and sliced 1 inch thick
Kosher salt and pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried
½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup water
1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
2 bay leaves
1 (3½- to 4-pound) boneless beef chuck-eye roast, trimmed and tied at 1-inch intervals
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Description
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
For a tender pot roast recipe with an Italian spin, we started with boneless chuck-eye roast—our favorite cut for pot roast because it’s well marbled with fat and connective tissue. The slow cooker, with its even and moist heat, is the perfect environment for braising a pot roast until fork-tender, but many slow-cooker recipes call for canned tomatoes as the base of the braise. We found that halved cherry tomatoes cooked perfectly along with the roast, breaking down to create a flavorful, fresh-tasting tomato sauce. We reinforced the Italian flavors in the pot roast with the addition of garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and dried porcini mushrooms. Since store-bought broth was off the table, we gave our pot roast a boost of meaty flavor by getting out a skillet: We sautéed bacon, browned the aromatics in the rendered bacon fat, and deglazed the pan to capture all the flavorful browned bits. A sprinkling of fresh basil before serving highlighted the fresh, bold flavors of our sauce. Many markets sell chuck-eye roast with elastic netting, which should be removed. Re-tie the roast using kitchen twine. You will need an oval 5½- to 7-quart slow cooker for this recipe.
Directions
1. Cook bacon in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate; set aside.
2. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet. Add onions, carrots, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook over medium heat until softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, oregano, mushrooms, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in water, scraping up any browned bits; transfer to slow cooker.
3. Stir tomatoes and bay leaves into slow cooker. Season roast with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until sharp knife slips easily in and out of meat, 9 to 10 hours on low or 6 to 7 hours on high.
4. Transfer roast to carving board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, discard bay leaves. Using large, shallow spoon, skim excess fat from surface of sauce. Stir in crisp bacon and basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove twine from roast, slice against grain into ½-inch-thick slices, and arrange on serving platter. Spoon 1 cup sauce over meat and serve with remaining sauce.