Crockpot Beef Roast with Onion Gravy

Ingredients

• 1 boneless chuck roast, well marbled (1800 g)
• 2 onions, cut into thick wedges (500 g)
• 5 carrots, cut into thick lengths (500 g)
• 2 cups beef broth, warmed (480 g)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste (32 g)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (30 g)
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder (6 g)
• 1 teaspoon thyme (1 g)
• 2 teaspoons fine salt (12 g)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper (2 g)
• 2 bay leaves (0.4 g)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (8 g)
• 2 tablespoons cold water (30 g)
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley (30 g)

Instructions

1. Arrange. Spread onion and carrots in a 6-quart crockpot. Season chuck roast with garlic powder, thyme, salt, and pepper, then center it over the vegetables without wedging it against the sides.
2. Add liquid. Whisk warm broth, tomato paste, and Worcestershire until smooth. Pour around the roast and add bay leaves to the liquid, leaving the seasoning across the beef undisturbed.
3. Cook. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours 30 minutes. Check the thickest section; continue in 20-minute intervals until a fork enters and twists with little resistance.
4. Blend. Move beef to a board and discard bay leaves. Blend half the onions, half the carrots, and 480 g cooking liquid, then return the smooth gravy to the crockpot.
5. Finish. Use cold cornstarch slurry only if gravy needs more body. Break beef into broad pieces, coat briefly in the gravy, add parsley, and divide into six servings. Test the gravy after blending by coating the back of a spoon. Add slurry gradually only if the surface remains watery, waiting briefly between additions. Keep the finished beef in serving-size pieces and return them just long enough to receive a light coating before plating.

Notes

• Chuck roast provides the marbling needed for a long low cook.
• The eight-hour cook allowance includes tenderness checks and blending the onion gravy.
• Refrigerate in gravy for 4 days or freeze portions for 3 months. Keep ingredient sizes consistent for the most even finish.

Nutrition Facts