I posted the recipe for this roast a few days ago for the second Sunday in Advent, but, if you missed it, here it is again--this time with a photo. I confess that the roast isn't photogenic. It was mostly hiding in the savory sauce in the slow cooker. Nonetheless, the Bavarian pot roast--surrounded by vegetables--is ideal for a cold December day. The roast is subtly spiced with ginger and a touch of allspice and, with plenty of red wine in the sauce, smells wonderful while it cooks. If you come home from a day outside the house, you'll be hit immediately when you walk in your door with incredible aromas from the slow cooker. Serve the roast with mashed potatoes or noodles and a salad, and you'll have a comforting, company-worthy weeknight meal.
Bavarian Pot Roast -- Serves 6+
1 2½ - 3 pound boneless chuck roast
1 16-ounce bag of baby carrots or 4-5 medium carrots, cut up into chunks
2 medium onions, chopped
2 stalks of celery, sliced
½ cup of chopped dill pickles
8 ounces of sliced mushrooms
1 cup of red wine (cheap Burgundy is fine)
½ cup of reduced sodium beef broth
3 tablespoons of grainy Dijon mustard
½ cup of crushed gingersnaps (or ½ cup of flour plus ½ teaspoon of ginger)
½ teaspoon of pepper
½ teaspoon of cloves
2-3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of salt
Coat a large slow cooker with nonstick spray and add the carrots, onion, celery, dill pickles, and mushrooms. Put the roast on top of the vegetables. In a large bowl, mix together the wine, broth, mustard, and gingersnaps (or flour and ginger). Pour the mixture on top of the roast. Sprinkle the roast with the pepper, cloves, bay leaves, and salt. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Remove the bay leaves and serve the meat with the vegetables and sauce.
