Active Time

　　25 minutes

　　Total Time

　　8–10 hours

　　This is a perfect early fall meal, capturing the abundance of peppers and onions that the harvest has brought. Pot roast sometimes gets a bad rap for being dry, boring, and bland. I understand the hesitation with dishes that maybe you had bad versions of growing up, but this recipe shines a new light on a classic. Using chuck and cooking it slow-and-low allows it time to fully develop its flavor. Pair it with a fresh chickpea salad to brighten up the dish.

　　

Ingredients

6–8 servings

　　

Pot roast:

1 boneless beef chuck roast (about 3 pounds)

　　Kosher salt

　　1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

　　1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

　　4 medium carrots, large-diced

　　1 large sweet onion, large-diced

　　6 garlic cloves, smashed

　　6 bay leaves

　　6 sprigs fresh thyme

　　1 quart beef stock, preferably homemade

　　1 quart dry red wine

　　1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground

　　

Charred Onion and Chickpea Salad

1 tablespoon canola oil

　　1 large red onion, halved lengthwise, root end of each half left intact

　　2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 10 ounces dried chickpeas, cooked

　　2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (from about 1 bunch)

　　4 red jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced

　　3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

　　2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　1 tablespoon ground cumin

　　Kosher salt

　　

Special Equipment

6-quart (or larger) slow cooker

　　

For the pot roast:

Step 1

Pat the chuck roast dry and season it all over with salt and the pepper.

　　

Step 2

Place a large braising pan, such as a Dutch oven, over high heat and warm the canola oil in it until it shimmers. Add the chuck roast and sear it for about 5 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Transfer the roast to a plate to rest, and add the carrots and onion to the braising pan. Cook for 3 minutes on high heat, stirring, until the vegetables are starting to soften; then add the garlic, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs and cook for 1 minute more. Add the stock, red wine, and ground coriander and deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Cook for 5 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Remove the pan from the heat and carefully pour the contents into a slow cooker. Add the chuck roast, cover with the lid, and cook on the low setting for 8 to 10 hours, until very tender. Season with additional salt, if desired.

　　

For the salad:

Step 4

Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the canola oil, and when it begins to shimmer, add the onion halves, cut-side down, and char for about 10 minutes—you want them to be well blackened. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the onion halves cool to room temperature; then slice each half into 1/4-inch-thick half-rings.

　　

Step 5

In a medium bowl, combine the chickpeas, cilantro, jalapeños, charred onion slices, lemon juice, olive oil, and cumin. Toss well and season with salt to taste.

　　

To serve:

Step 6

Transfer the roast to a platter, discard the bay and thyme, and serve the Charred Onion and Chickpea Salad alongside.

　　Reprinted from The Chef and the Slow Cooker. Copyright © 2017 by Fried Pie, LLC. Photographs copyright © 2017 by Andrew Thomas Lee. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.Buy the full book from Amazon.