Slow Cooker Pot Roast – beef joint cooked in a rich tomato sauce until melt-in-the mouth tender and flavorful. This Italian pot roast is delicious served over noodles or mashed potatoes for a hearty meal the whole family will enjoy.
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Sunday = Pot Roast Day, are we all agreed on that? This insanely delicious slow cooker pot roast is the perfect meal for gathering the family around the table.
My mum used to make this when I was little and I am so glad to finally share her recipe!
And it is NOT your usual pot roast either… We will be using our slow cooker to braise a whole beef joint in a rich tomato and wine sauce until it becomes incredibly tender.
ITALIAN POT ROAST
My mother would beg to differ and say this is a Greek Pot Roast, but in truth the two are practically identical. Here’s what you will need:
- Beef Joint: you can use the more purse-friendly cuts for this pot roast as they require long cooking to make them tender. Chuck roast, rump roast or brisket would work well.
- Shallots, celery and carrots make up the base for the sauce.
- Garlic, bay leaves, beef stock cube, sugar and cinnamon for flavour.
- Plum tomatoes or grated fresh tomatoes (when in season)
- Red wine is used for our braising liquid…. fear not there will be plenty left in the bottle to enjoy with your meal!
HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER POT ROAST
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Season the beef joint liberally with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet and sear the beef on all sides until nicely browned. Set aside.
Add a knob of butter to the pan and sweat the shallots over low heat – covering the pan will help caramelize the shallots.
Season with a pinch of sugar and cinnamon and stir in the plum tomatoes, breaking them up with the back of a wooden spoon.
Pour the wine into the pan and bring to a rolling simmer. Transfer the contents of the pan to your slow cooker.
Add the sliced carrots, celery sticks, unpeeled garlic cloves, and crumbled beef stock cube. Stir to combine.
Top with the beef joint and add a little water. Cover and cook on the low setting for 8-10 hours or overnight. You want to cook until the beef is fully tender and easily pierced with a knife.
Transfer the beef to a cutting board and allow to cool slightly. Discard the bay leaves, garlic and celery sticks and bring the sauce to a rolling simmer. Stir in a little cornflour slurry (or xanthan gum) if it needs thickening.
Slice the beef and add back into the sauce to warm through. Serve over noodles, mashed potatoes or polenta.
RECIPE NOTES
- Searing the beef will add a lot of flavour to your pot roast but if you are short on time you can skip this step and simply add all the ingredients to the slow cooker.
- This pot roast tastes even better the next day so it’s worth cooking a large joint so you can have leftovers!
- If you don’t like cooking with wine you can substitute with beef broth.
- You can double the amount of tomatoes if you want more sauce.
HAVE YOU MADE MY SLOW COOKER POT ROAST? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebookpage, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 4 pound (1.5 kg) beef joint
- Salt and pepper to season , a few turns of the mill
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tbsp butter
- 4 large shallots , diced
- 1 tsp sugar
- pinch ground cinnamon
- 14 oz (400g) plum tomatoes
- ¾ cup (180ml) red wine
- 4 carrots , peeled and sliced
- 2 ribs celery
- 3 garlic cloves , unpeeled
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 beef stock cube , crumbled
- 1/4 cup (60ml) water
- 2 tsp cornstarch diluted in cold water or 1 tsp xanthan gum , to thicken sauce if needed
- salt and pepper , to taste
- fresh parsley to garnish
- plenty of grated Parmesan , to serve
Instructions
- Season the beef joint liberally with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet and sear the beef on all sides until nicely browned. Set aside.
- Add a knob of butter to the pan and sweat the shallots over low heat – covering the pan will help caramelize the shallots.
- Season with a pinch of sugar and cinnamon and stir in the plum tomatoes, breaking them up with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Pour the wine into the pan and bring to a rolling simmer. Transfer the contents of the pan to your slow cooker.
- Add the sliced carrots, celery sticks, unpeeled garlic cloves, and crumbled beef stock cube. Stir to combine.
- Top with the beef joint and add a little water. Cover and cook on the low setting for 8-10 hours or overnight. You want to cook until the beef is fully tender and easily pierced with a knife.
- Transfer the beef to a cutting board and allow to cool slightly. Discard the bay leaves, garlic and celery sticks and bring the sauce to a rolling simmer. Stir in a little cornflour slurry (or xanthan gum) if it needs thickening. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper, to taste.
- Slice the beef and add back into the sauce to warm through. Serve over noodles, mashed potatoes or polenta. Add grated parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh parsley.
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