Recipe: Crock Pot Wizardry With A Chuck Roast

Seems this years already turning into a roller coaster, seeing that blogging has had to take a backseat for a second. I'm going to start posting some recipes and adaptions that I have written down over the past few years. For me, for you, quick references and all the good jazz.

This recipe was given to me by word-of-mouth from my mother. It's soooooo easy, level one easy. Amaze balls, and in the dozen times I have used this recipe, it has turned out EVERY time. I love making this and freezing the extra or even just eating it for the next week if you're budgeting.

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Ingredients::

• Chuck Roast
• Vegetable oil (I use extra-virgin olive oil)
• Carrots - generally 1-2 cups
• Potatoes - 1-3 cups (really both of these depend on how big your crock pot is and/or what else you're going to be making with this)
• Onion - 2 tbsp (optional)
• Seasoning, store bought or custom made (I like to use taco seasoning, mild or hot depending on the mood. Generally 1/2-3/4 of a pouch)
• Salt (garlic salt is what I like to use) and pepper
• Beef or vegetable broth
• Optional: Bay leaves and/or thyme (add after adding roast to the crock pot)

Directions::

1. Wash carrots and potatoes. Skin potatoes and add all vegetables to the bottom of the crock pot. Add one tablespoon of vegetable oil to the crock pot as well.
2. Season the top of the roast with salt and pepper. With butter or olive oil in the pan, brown the seasoned side and season the opposite side while it's browning. I've been using heat at 6-7 (medium to high) for about five minutes a side. Turn over and brown the other side.
3. Add to the crock pot once both sides are seared. Add seasoning onto the top of the roast, generally covering the top with a nice layer of it (about 1/2 the package). See picture below.
4. Add water to the sides of the roast, covering all the vegetables on the bottom. Add some broth so the sides of the roast are covered, roughly a CM under the top of the roast.
5. Put on lid and set to high for an half an hour. NO FLIPPING!
6. Without taking the lid off, set to low for 5-6 hours. I generally try to check this around the 5 hour mark, as your don't want that sucker to dry out.

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Next time I cook this, I'll be sure to take some pictures of the final product and update this post with how it turns out! 

Checking some rules of thumb from around the web:: "Generally, start out with about 1 to 1.25 hours per pound for cooking on high and 1.25 to 1.5 hours per pound for cooking on low." Ref

And here's the Best Yahoo Answer on dry meat.

Hope you all enjoy, I know this is one of my favorite "lazy" recipes. ;]

Enjoy and until next time.