It’s really hard to mess up a grass-fed beef roast.  Long, slow cooking is pretty much a guarantee you are going to end up with delicious, fall-off-the-bone tender meat.  I love the crockpot for this, and you can change up the vegetables to include whatever you like. I set it in the morning, leave for work, and come home to a deliciously smelling house! I’ve made this same recipe throwing in combinations of an extra summer squash, corn-on-the cob, mushrooms, and cubed sweet potato.

Bon Appetit!
– Chef Charly (of Grass to Food Farm)

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons butter or ghee
  • 2-3 lbs beef roast
  • 1 tablespoon peppercorns, crushed (if you have, if not, throw in some ground black pepper)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed)
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2-3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2-3 potatoes (or 1 sweet potato or omit if you don’t eat starches)
  • 1-2 cups beef broth (depending on how much liquid you’d like to end up with)
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley 
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano 
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • Salt, as needed, before serving

Directions:

  • Heat a large pan over medium-high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon butter or ghee and brown the roast on all sides.  You want a good sear on all sides, but you don’t need to worry about cooking the meat through.  2-3 minutes per side is usually sufficient to achieve the char.
  • Place the seared chunk of roast into the slow cooker/crock-pot.  
  • Turn the heat in the pan down to medium, melt more butter or ghee, sauté the onions, carrots, and celery until onions are translucent and the carrots have started to soften.  Takes about 5 minutes.  
  • Add garlic and sauté another minute.
  • Dump the veggies into the crock-pot around the meat.
  • Add the potato pieces, the broth, and the herbs.
  • Cook on “Low” setting for 6-8 hours.
  • Take roast out, salt if needed, carve and serve.

Questions:

Can I add in other things?  Yes!  The combinations are limitless.  You can add in or substitute any firm vegetable.  Mushrooms are delicious. You can also up the spice level by throwing in a jalapeno.

How can I make the broth richer? Add 2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste with all the other ingredients for a thicker broth.

Can I use my Instapot instead? Becuase grass-fed/finished meats are inherently more lean and tougher they require a longer, slower roasting. Be very cautious of any Instapot recipes that finish in a few hours or less.

How do I serve this?  We eat this as a stew, because the broth is so delicious with the meat and veggies.  But you can also drain the veggies and serve without liquid.