There is nothing like working all day, slipping your key in the front door, walking in and getting smacked in the face with the smell of grandmas Sunday roast beef dinner. Best thing it's Thursday, you didn't have to drive all the way to grandmas and when your done eating you can veg out on the couch and let the beef digest. Second best thing is while you were working the crock pot was doing it's thing for 10 hours and you barely lifted a finger. The hardest thing is tearing apart the tender roast, scooping out the carrots and whipping up a batch of gravy to smother over the beef.
Now Jay Eatz recommends purchasing a cheap cut of beef. There is no sense of buying a prime rib roast, a top sirloin roast or a tenderloin roast and boiling it all day on low in that magical device called the crock pot. These roast are great in the oven and do not require a 10 hour cook to make them tender. A cross rib roast or a blade roast is the ideal choice. Look for some good Canadian AAA beef and hunt for a deal. I picked up a $15 roast on special for half price.
Now Jay Eatz recommends purchasing a cheap cut of beef. There is no sense of buying a prime rib roast, a top sirloin roast or a tenderloin roast and boiling it all day on low in that magical device called the crock pot. These roast are great in the oven and do not require a 10 hour cook to make them tender. A cross rib roast or a blade roast is the ideal choice. Look for some good Canadian AAA beef and hunt for a deal. I picked up a $15 roast on special for half price.
I also grabbed a bag of Ontario carrots (always in season at the grocery store, buy local, it's good for everyone), a couple of Ontario shallots from Augusts Harvest and some imported garlic. Plus a tall can of Guinness.
Prep for this meal was as simple as the ingredients. First rinse your beef off as who knows where its been, who's sneezed on it and if it has hit the ground before it was packed. Peel 2 or 3 cloves of the garlic and then slice into thin slivers. Now use a knife to stab 1 inch deep and 1 inch wide slits into the roast. Then jam your slivers of garlic into the slits.
Place roast in crock pot. Then peel and slice the shallots into thin long strips. Peel carrots and cut in half lengthwise and width wise. Add carrots and shallots to the crock pot. I also added a dash or 2 of salt and pepper and some dried rosemary leaves to the mix.
Now the tricky part, it's before 9 a.m. and you have to go to work, open the Guinness, DO NOT DRINK ANY and pour into crock pot. Top with a dollop or 2 of butter. Cover and set crock pot to 10 hour cook time (or low depending on your crock pot). Hop in car and head to work.
Fast forward a whole days worth of work and voila roast is done.
Now scoop out the carrots and place into a bowl. Remove roast (the roast will fall apart and should separate from the fat) and place on cutting board. The roast will require little to no cutting and should just tear apart, I used the knife more as a separator than a cutting device.
For the gravy I got lazy and just used a packet gravy. Quick and easy after a long day at work and tastes just like restaurant gravy plus very hard to screw up or to have lumps in it. Instead of water use a cup or 2 of the Guinness juice from the crock pot. Whisk in the gravy pouch in a pan and heat to a simmer and it's done. I also fried up some green and yellow beans as one of my dinner companions is on a no carb diet and could not enjoy the delicious Portuguese buns I picked up from Art'es Bakery in Strathroy.
I plated up 2 non-carb plates for my guest. I opted for a gravy smothered beef on a bun with some old cheddar cheese and a side of delicious carrots.
Feed 3 people, prep time was about 15 mins in the morning and 15 mins after work and all for about $16. Plus the bonus of two roast beef and cheddar cheese buns for work the next day.