Rich, juicy and meltingly tender beef, cooked low and slow in beef stock and red wine… this Easy Peasy Pot Roast is so good, you’ll be wanting to make it every weekend!
Preheat your oven to 160C / 140C fan / gas mark 3 / 325F (ignore this step if using a slow cooker).
Season the beef all over with a little salt and plenty of black pepper.
Place a frying pan on over high heat and wait until it is smoking hot (at least 2 minutes).
Brown the beef in the hot pan for 2 minutes on each side, starting with the side with the fat.
Place the beef in a casserole, dutch oven or slow cooker.
Reduce the heat right down under the frying pan and fry the onions, until lightly browned. Then add the garlic and fry for 1 more minute, taking care not to burn the garlic. Throw the onions and garlic into the casserole / dutch oven / slow cooker.
Pour the wine and stock into the frying pan and bring to the boil. Carefully pour the hot liquid into the casserole / dutch oven / slow cooker.
Add the chopped carrots and celery to the casserole / dutch oven / slow cooker, together with the bay leaves and sprigs of thyme.
[Oven Method] Put a lid on your casserole / dutch oven and place it in your preheated oven for 3 hours. For best results, turn the beef over a couple of times during cooking (but this is not essential.)
[Slow Cooker Method] Put the lid on your slow cooker and select ‘low’. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
Serve with mashed potatoes and green vegetables.
**Optional step for thicker gravy** When the meat is done, remove the beef and vegetables onto a serving dish and strain the liquid into a saucepan. Mix together 1-2 tablespoons cornflour (U.S. - corn starch) – depending on how thick you like your gravy – with a small amount of cold water to make a thin paste. Pour this paste into the saucepan. Gently simmer the gravy until it reaches your preferred consistency, then pour into a gravy jug.
Video
Notes
Suitable for freezing.
Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.