Easy Crockpot Pot Roast

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 boneless beef rump or chuck roast (3 to 3-1/2 pounds)
• 1/4 cup red wine, beer, beef broth or water, for deglazing
• 6 medium carrots, cut into thirds
• 6 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 3 teaspoons Montreal steak seasoning
• 1 (32-ounce) box beef broth
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons water

Description

Step 1: Brown the roast

If you’re running short on time, you can skip this step, but we recommend browning the roast to make the pot roast more flavorful. Start by heating the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the roast and brown it on all sides, about five minutes per side. When it’s finished, remove the roast to a platter and deglaze the pan with the wine, beer, broth or water, using a spoon to release any burnt bits.

Step 2: Prepare the slow cooker and cook

While the meat is browning, place the carrots, potatoes and onion in the bowl of a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the roast on top of the vegetables and sprinkle it with the steak seasoning. Add the deglazing liquid and the broth and cook, covered, on low for 10 to 12 hours, until the beef and vegetables are tender.

Editor’s Tip: Since we’ve cut the vegetables into such large chunks, they should be able to stand up to this long, low-and-slow cooking time. If you’re using smaller cut vegetables, you’ll want to add them during the last three hours.

Step 3: Make the gravy

Transfer the roast and vegetables to a serving platter and keep warm by tenting them with aluminum foil. Pour the cooking juices through a fine-mesh strainer into a fat separator. (If you don’t have one, use one of these tricks for removing extra fat.) Skim off the excess fat, pour the juices into a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until the juices are boiling.

Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the juices and return the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook until the mixture is thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve the gravy over top of the roast.