Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Root Vegetables
A chuck roast seared hard, then left alone for eight hours until it falls apart under a fork.
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 8 hrs
- Written
Method
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Season the chuck roast heavily with salt and pepper on all sides.
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Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat and sear the roast until deeply browned, about 4 minutes per side, then set it in the slow cooker.
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Scatter the potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic around the roast.
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Whisk the tomato paste, stock, wine, and Worcestershire together and pour it over everything.
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Tuck in the thyme and bay leaves, cover, and cook on low until the meat shreds apart with no resistance, 8 to 9 hours (or high for 5 to 6 hours).
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Lift the roast onto a platter and tent with foil.
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Discard the thyme stems and bay leaves, then skim any excess fat from the liquid.
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Break the roast into large pieces with two forks and serve with the vegetables, spooning the juices over the top.
Notes
The sear is the one step people skip on a dump-and-go dinner, and it’s the one that matters — five minutes on a hot skillet builds a fond that turns the slow cooker liquid into something that tastes braised instead of boiled. Don’t skip it for the sake of convenience.
Chuck is the right cut here; it’s the fat and connective tissue breaking down over eight hours that makes the meat shred instead of just getting tender. Leftovers make excellent sandwiches with the juices ladled over as an au jus.