Fall-Apart Roast and Veggies, Crock Pot Version

Photo by Denice Rovira Hazlett

Ask my husband who makes the best pot roast on the face of the planet, whose is the most flavorful and tender, with just the right balance of perfectly-seasoned carrots and potatoes and will always and faithfully answer the same way.

Nancy Billings.

When we were first married, I was still learning the basics--starting potatoes in cold water, starting stir-fry vegetables in a hot pan, and having the tip figured out when the pizza guy rang the bell. If ever I missed an ingredient or step in my red-and-white covered Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, we were always welcome at Nancy's house. And if it happened to be a special occasion, like Easter Sunday (and Nancy always made it clear that she'd love to have our company on Easter Sunday), there was sure to be a falling-apart roast and mounds of steaming mashed potatoes. 

For years, I've tried duplicating that roast, but it's always too dry, or too gristly, or not quite flavorful enough. But today, I finally found a recipe that looked promising, and with a few variations, it's as close as I've ever come to making a roast like Nancy's.

Part of the secret for this is the right cut of meat. The best cuts for cooking in crock pots are cuts that are normally tough when cooked any other way. Inexpensive cuts like chuck roasts (which I used today), pork shoulder or beef brisket work the best. The low-temperature, long cooking time perfectly breaks down the meat's connective tissue, and you end up with a very tender pot roast. 

After the post-lunch nap, as I sat down to write this post, I asked my family who makes the best roast ever. I wasn't surpised when husband agreed that today's was pretty darn close but maintained that Nancy's were still the best.

But each of my darling children, all too young to clearly remember any roasts but mine, lavished generous praise upon today's mouthwatering Easter feast. 

Mission accomplished. 

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Fall-Apart Roast and Veggies, Crock Pot Version

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

8 medium carrots, peeled, cut into chunks

2 medium onions, each cut into 8 wedges

6 small red potatoes, quartered

6 cloves of garlic, peeled

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1-2 tablespoons oil

1 3-pound beef chuck roast, extra fat trimmed off (*NOTE: Choose a roast with plenty of fat. That's what makes it so tender)

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

Directions

Put the carrots, onions and potatoes into the crock pot; season with salt and pepper and mix. 

Stir together cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Mix with the vegetables. 

Sprinkle roast generously with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until hot. Sear roast for several minutes on both sides. Place on top of vegetables. Add garlic and bay leaf, the sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce.

Cook until the roast is falling apart, around 10 hours on low, or 6 hours on high. Be sure to check for tenderness. Cooking time will vary with different crock pot brands/sizes. 

When it's finished, you can serve it straight out of the pot, or transfer it to a platter.

The cornstarch will have thickened the juices. If you'd rather, you can leave the potatoes out and pour the juices over some savory garlic mashed potatoes. 

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