Kids Dish

I like the idea of slow cooking. It doesn’t use as much energy as cooking in the oven or stove top and dinner is on the table with very little effort at the end of the day. So I busted out the crock pot (I actually have a Rival Crock Pot so I’m not speaking generically) for the first time in three years and made a pot roast yesterday. It took about half an hour to prep the ingredients in the morning and by dinner time all I had to do was make a few quick sides. This was only the second time I’ve ever made a pot roast and based on my previous experience I think the slow cooker is the way to go.

5lb roast (chuck, brisket, top or bottom round)
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt and pepper
1 lb carrots peeled and chopped
3 onions chopped medium
6 cloves garlic, minced
5 or 6 sprigs of fresh thyme (1 tsp dried)
1 cup red wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup beef stock
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (don’t substitute dried- just skip it if you don’t have fresh)

Heat the oil in a large pan until shimmering. Pat the roast dry with paper towels and salt and pepper it. Brown the roast on all sides,about ten minutes total. Remove the roast to a plate and add onions and carrots to pan. Cook until onions are soft and translucent and carrots are browned, about five minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. (You can prepare up until this point the night before. Refrigerate the meat and vegetables separately.) Pour in the red wine and scrape up any brown bits. Remove from heat.

Put the roast and its juices in the slow cooker. Pour in the wine and vegetables. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on high for 6-7 hours or low for 9-10. Remove the roast from the slow cooker and let rest for five minutes before slicing. Remove the bay leaves, add the chopped parsley and puree the remaining vegetables into the sauce with a stick blender or in batches in a regular blender and pass as gravy. (You can skip this step, but if your kids don’t love vegetables they won’t suspect they’re lurking in the gravy!)

Serve with a green vegetable or salad and something to sop up the gravy. Mashed potatoes and biscuits are excellent choices.