After a long day at work I have no desire to spend an hour in the kitchen preparing and cooking dinner. What with having to entertain and feed my son, take out the dogs, clean, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. If you’re like me then I suggest investing in a crock pot, some veggies, and a slab of beef.
You can knock out the 20 minute preparation in the morning, and let the crock pot cook your dinner while you’re at work. When you arrive home your dinner will be ready for serving. If you’re interested in trying this recipe out just keep reading.
First you’re going to need a few things. Get ’em and proceed to what to do next.
A few things
- 3 lb Beef Chuck roast
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 1/2 cup Tomato Juice
- 1/4 cup Red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Basil; dry & crushed
- 1/2 tsp Thyme; dry & crushed
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
- 1 Garlic clove; minced
- 6 carrots; quartered and cut into 1/2″ pieces
- 6 boiling onions
- 4 small Russet potatoes; chunked
- 1/4 cup Tapioca or instant mashed potatoes
What to do next
Trim the fat from the roast or large chunk of beef (I’m using a London Broil in this example). Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet and brown the roast on all sides. Depending on its size you may need to cut the roast to fit into your crock pot prior to browning.
In a medium-sized bowl combine the tomato juice, red wine vinegar, worcestershire sauce, sugar, salt, basil, thyme, pepper, and garlic, and set aside.
Place carrots, potatoes, and onions into the crock pot. I used baby carrots and just covered the bottom of the crock pot. As for the onions, the trick to peeling them is to boil them in water for 3 minutes, cool ’em down, then peel ’em. If you don’t you’re going to spend a half an hour trying to get the skin off your onions. Once you’ve added your potatoes sprinkle the tapioca or instant mashed potatoes on top of your veggies.
Lay the roast on top of the veggies and pour the tomato mixture over the roast.
Cover and cook on low-heat for 8-10 hours or high-heat for 4-6 hours.
While you wait you should be proactive and knock out the dishes. Just sayin’.
Transfer the meat and veggies to a platter. Skim the fat for gravy and serve with mashed potatoes, or on top of your roast.
You may notice the red and black pepper on the roast. With about an hour to go I coated the roast with black pepper and sprinkled in a bit of red pepper for a spicier finish. The roast and veggies came out great. I recommend doubling the tomato juice to ensure a thinner gravy. Now it’s your turn. Good luck and happy eating.
Cooking Deets
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4-10 hours
Cost: < $20
Difficulty: Easy
Taste: ★★★☆☆