Pot roast seems to be almost a lost art. It’s something you never hear anyone talking about these days and yet I know it’s still an after-church standard. To put a Southern spin on this Yankee dish, slap that hunk of meat in the slow cooker and add a cold beer. Now we’re talking. Don’t worry, the alcohol will cook off—you’re just after the flavor.
SERVES 8
2 medium yellow onions, cut into eighths
6 russet (baking) potatoes, peeled
8 medium carrots, quartered
1 (3- to 4-pound) beef chuck pot roast
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
12 ounces beer, such as amber ale
1. In a slow cooker, combine the onions, potatoes, and carrots. Put the beef roast on top and then sprinkle the Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, basil, and thyme evenly over the roast. Put the 2 bay leaves on top of the roast. Pour the beer evenly over everything.
2. Cook on medium for 4 hours (or low for 8 hours, or high for 2 hours and 15 minutes) until the beef is fall-apart tender.
3. Discard the bay leaves, slice the pot roast, and serve with the vegetables.