Sometimes you get a fever… and the only prescription… is pot roast. Get yourself some choice chuck beef shoulder roast (3-4 lbs) depending on how much leftovers you want. Trim the fat, salt and pepper it, then coat in flour. Brown it in a dutch oven. Then set it aside.

Cook onions and garlic in the same pan (or dutch oven) for 5 minutes. Then deglaze with red wine and tomatoes.

Nestle the pot roast in the tomato/onion/garlic mix. Add enough water to cover 3/4 of the way. Then add herbs… parsley, thyme and bay leaf and let it go in the crock pot for several hours. It’s getting close to ready when the meat is falling apart or fork tender.

Add some vegetables: carrot, red potatoes, celery, and maybe mushrooms if you’re in the mood.

Let it go for another hour or two. Then it’s ready to serve:

Crock Pot Roast

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 springs fresh parsley
• 8 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 TB vegetable oil
• Flour
• 1 boneless beef chuck roast (about 4 lbs)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 (15 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 4 medium carrots, cut in chunks
• 2 ribs celery, quartered
• 1 ¼ pounds medium red potatoes, quartered

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Tie parsley, thyme together with a piece of kitchen string.
2. In a large Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid set heat to medium-high. Spread flour out on a plate. Season beef generously with salt and black pepper. Coat beef with the flour and shake off excess. Sear the meat on all sides, turning until well browned, about 12 minutes. Transfer beef to a plate.
3. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring until browned, about 5 minutes. Add wine and deglaze until syrupy, about 3 minutes, using a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown bits that cling to the pan. Add tomatoes, crushing by hand as you add them. Season with salt and pepper. Nestle beef in the tomatoes and add enough water to cover meat ¾ of the way. Add bundle of herbs into liquid, cover, and allow to simmer until meat is tender about 4 hours.
4. Scatter vegetables around meat; continuing to cook until the beef and vegetables are tender, about 1-2 hours. Discard the herb bundle and bay leaves and season broth with salt and black pepper to taste.
5. Arrange vegetables on platter and serve meat with gravy.