Best Pot Roast Ever — outside the recipe box

Prep Time: 8 hours and 30 minutes (30 minutes hands-on prep time)

Meal Notes: Look, I get it. Odds are, you have your own pot roast allegiance. I don’t expect you to take my word for “best ever.” But I’ve tried dozens of recipes over the years and, for me, this one is the winner by a mile. It’s all about the rich, satisfying gravy, which cooks with the roast.

In the recipe below, I’ve roasted the potatoes separately. I prefer this method because, depending on your crockpot, the potatoes often take longer than the rest of the ingredients to fully cook. You can, of course, throw the potatoes into the slow cooker with the carrots, but, if you go this route, I recommend chopping them into fairly small, bite-sized pieces.

Source: Modified slightly from Food Network

Ingredients

1 (3-4 lb) beef chuck roast**
2 1/2 teaspoons salt (plus 1/2 teaspoon and more to taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper (plus 1/2 teaspoon and more to taste)
1/3 cup all purpose flour (plus more for coating)
3 Tablespoons canola oil, divided
3 stalks celery
4 medium carrots
1 medium onion
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
3 cloves garlic
1 cup red wine
3 cups beef stock
3 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup parsley

Directions

Prep Ingredients: Cut the celery into 1/2 inch pieces and the carrots into slightly larger pieces. Cut the onion into thin slices. Mince the garlic. Sprinkle 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 2 1/2 teaspoons pepper over the roast. Pour flour onto a plate.

Sear the roast: Place roast on plate of flour and coat on all sides, shaking off any excess. Heat two Tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet. When oil is hot, add the roast to the skillet and cook until golden brown on all sides, turning as needed (about 8 minutes). Transfer the roast to a slow cooker, along with celery, carrots, onions, and garlic.
Make gravy: Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the tomato paste and stir until oil begins to turn red (about one minute). Add the flour and wine, whisking until moderately smooth. Add the beef broth, bay leaves, thyme, allspice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Whisk while bringing to a simmer. Let gravy simmer for approximately four minutes, until smooth and thickened.
Cook: Pour gravy into slow cooker, covering meat and vegetables. Cook on low for 8 hours.
Finish: When roast is tender, remove it from the clow cooker and let it rest on a cutting board for a few minutes before slicing. Discard the thyme stem and bay leaves, reserving the gravy in a separate serving bowl. Chop the parsley, stirring it into the gravy. Slice the roast. Serve with the gravy on the side.

* Does the cut of the roast actually matter? YES! I’ve had the best luck with chuck roast, but, if you can’t find this cut, look for a brisket or round roast. It’s the connective tissue in a cut of meat that breaks down while slow cooking and makes it tender. If you use a cut without enough connective tissue, the roast will be tough and dry and I can guarantee it won’t live up to my ‘best ever” claims.