Think you don’t have time to prepare a delicious Italian Sunday dinner? With the help of your crock-pot, I’ll show you how to create a wonderful meal that virtually cooks itself while you go about your busy day. With a nine hour cook time, you can easily fit this into your schedule.
Ingredients:
- 2 lb. chuck roast
- 3 garlic cloves, cut into slivers
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 3/4 cup red wine
Preparation:
Crock-pots are wonderful, but there are a few things they can’t do, like caramelize meat and veggies. Throwing all of the ingredients into the crock-pot is easy, but you won’t get the depth of flavor created by searing the meat first. Take a few extra minutes to do this and you won’t be disappointed.
Here is my chuck roast. All of that nice marbling is going to break down into melt in your mouth tenderness, but first I’m going to sear the meat in a little olive oil. Use a stainless steel or cast iron skillet, don’t use non-stick. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Next, use a paring knife to make small slits all over the top of the roast and insert a sliver of garlic into each.
Spray the crock-pot with cooking spray and place the roast in the crock-pot. Use the same skillet to saute the onions 2-3 minutes then add them to the crock-pot.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping up the caramelized bits.
Bring to a simmer and pour it over the roast. Cover and cook on low for 9 hours.
Fast forward, nine hours later your house smells amazing and your family will think you have been in the kitchen all day. Let it be your little secret!
Carefully lift the beef onto a serving dish. You won’t even need a knife to cut it! Serve over polenta [1] with a little marinara sauce and grated cheese for a really special Italian Sunday dinner.
Notes: ♪♫ Try to select a chuck roast that has an even thickness all around. Most grocers have a meat department where you can ask to have a larger roast cut to your desired size.