Classic Slow Cooker Pot Roast

A few days ago, I'd decided to make a pot roast for the weekend, but then the governor of our state decreed that restaurants can open with outdoor seating only! Good news for my pocketbook, bad news for my dinner plans. I've been working on restaurant stuff in my free time for the past few days, so I haven't had time to cook, and I didn't want Tom to suffer unduly. It was also up in the air about whether or not I'd be working all day, so I decided to fix this dish - a Classic Slow Cooker Pot Roast.

Classic Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Ingredients

• 1 3-5 pound Chuck Roast
• salt and pepper
• 1 c. beef broth

For the Rub

• 1 T. Kosher salt
• 1½ tsp. black peppercorns (multi-colored is fine, too)
• 1 T. fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried
• 1 T. fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
• 2 garlic cloves

For the Gravy

• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Searing the roast in this recipe is optional. You can read about the pros and cons of searing the roast in this post.
2. To sear the roast, heat a heavy duty pan over medium high heat. Add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. While the pan is heating, pat the roast dry with paper towels. Season it with salt and pepper. Set the roast in the hot pan and let it sear until it isn't stuck to the pan. Flip and repeat the searing process until all of the sides are seared. Remove the roast from the pan and set it on a plate.
3. While the roast is searing, make the rosemary rub. Chop herbs, mince garlic and crush peppercorns.
4. To crush peppercorns, add them to a sealable bag and whack them with a rolling pin. You could also put them in a food processor. Combine kosher salt, crushed peppercorns, garlic, and herbs.
5. Rub a little olive oil over the roast. It will help the rub to stick to the roast. Sprinkle rub over the roast, using fingers to gently press into the roast.
6. Set the roast in the slow cooker. Add beef broth to the slow cooker, being careful not to pour it directly on the roast, washing the seasoning off.
7. At this point you can either refrigerate the roast until you are ready to cook it or you may cook it immediately.
8. Cook roast in slow cooker on high for 6-8 hours, or on low 8-10 hours.
9. Remove roast from slow cooker and let it rest for 5 minutes. It will easily shred when pulled apart with two forks. Serve immediately. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
10. To make gravy, add cornstarch and 1/4 cup water to a sauce pan. Whisk until smooth. Using a baster remove drippings from the roast and add them to the saucepan. If you need more liquid you can add additional beef broth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until desired consistency.

What I thought was great was the advice about preparing this ahead of time and refrigerating overnight. I forget that I can do that, so it was perfect for my day! I used the size of roast that I had, close to 2½ pounds, but left everything else the same. Suffice to say, I thought it was a little too salty and Tom thought that it was a little too peppery. Either way, Tom said it was excellent and I thought it was very flavorful.