Slow Cooked Beef

The temperature outside dropped on Sunday. Summer is over which means it's time to bring out the crock pot. I love autumn. This is the time when I make my favorite seasonal dishes.

I am very fortunate to have a friend who raise cattle and gave me some of his locally raised beef. (If anyone is interested in a cow share, please contact me.) I got about 3 pounds of chuck roast which is perfect for the slow cooker. Below is a recipe for the beef dish I made and pictured above. Measurements are approximate since I rarely use measuring cups while cooking.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 chopped onion
2 minced garlic clove
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 bay leaf

1 1/2 cups thick sliced carrots
8-10 small potatoes
3 lbs chunk roast
1 cup wine
2 1/2 cups water

1. Using a large pan, saute the onions and garlic in olive oil on low heat until the onions turn a little opaque. Set this inside the slow cooker.

2. Season the beef with pepper, salt, and cumin. Increase the heat to medium -high and using the same pan, sear the meat on both sides. You just want to brown the outside of the meat. Put the chuck roast aside in the slow cooker.

3. De-glaze the pan by reducing the heat to low-medium, add 1 cup water and wine to the pan which should now be covered in brown bits from when you seared the beef. Take a whisk and carefully scrape this off to mix with the water/wine. Pour the mixture through a strainer and into the slow cooker.

4. Add carrots, potatoes, bay leaf and the rest of the water if you think you need more. (Do not try to cover the entire meat in liquid since the beef will add more liquid as it cooks.)  Slow cook on low heat for 8 hours. Everything comes out super tender and flavorful.