Lazy Day Braised Pot Roast

Grenville made this crockpot roast on Super Bowl Sunday. Lazy is the best way to describe this meal as there’s no browning or fussing with the meat first, which is perfect, and the dinner cooks itself. - perfect! Just pile everything into a slow cooker and thicken the juices later. While the recipe has more liquid than others, it’s the basis for the gravy and keeps the meat moist and tender. This meal is great as leftovers - some of our favorite meals. Use a medium oval or large round (or oval cooker). Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hrs and go do something else with your day!

Lazy Day Braised Pot Roast
4 lb boneless chuck roast, trim fat and blot dry
½ tsp salt
4 large carrots cut into 3-inch lengths
4 large potatoes, peel and quarter
1 large onion, quarter
2 bay leaves
3 C water
½ C cider vinegar
3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1. Place roast in slow cooker and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add carrots, potatoes, onion, bay leaves. Pour water and vinegar over meat and vegetables. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.


2. Transfer meat and vegetables to heated platter and cover. Turn cooker to HIGH. You will have about 3 cups of liquid. In a small bowl, mash the butter and flour together to make a beurre manié.
   
   OK this sounds like something Julia Child might use (maybe she did) but it's not hard to do. Beurre manié is just an uncooked paste of flour and butter that thickens the thinnest of sauces. Put equal amounts of soft butter and flour in a bowl or small food processor and use a fork or pulsing motion, to mash together until the mixture forms a semi-firm mass. Add to the hot liquid in the cooker, stir with a whisk until it melts and the liquid thickens. Turn cooker to HIGH re-cover and cook about 10-15 min. Pour over the meat and vegetables and serve the remainder in a bowl