Crock Pot Success: Balsamic Roast Beef

Balsamic Roast Beef 

I am in love with my crock pot. It has saved me quite often, especially when I was single. Now that I'm married I think I use it more than I did before. One of my favorite cook books is Fix-It and Forget-It. I go to it often for ideas and quick and easy recipes. However, I am always open to expanding my horizons by finding new crock pot recipes, like the one I tried tonight--Balsamic Roast Beef.

As soon as my husband took one bite, he let me know that he liked it. Normally, I have to ask him so I knew this recipe was a hit. My toddler did not seem to enjoy it, mainly because she never tried it. She stuck with the noodles, thank you very much.

The recipe is beyond easy and basic. You need a 2-4 pound chuck roast (the recipe said 3-4, but I used 2 pounds and it worked). A trick I almost always use is to season the meat with salt and pepper before it goes into the crock pot, whether it says to on the recipe or not. The seasoning adds a bit more flavor to the meat, and you usually won't feel the need to add anymore once it is served. So, season the chuck roast and put it in the bottom of your crock pot. I would encourage you to put a liner in there first. A liner makes it much easier to clean later.

Next, you need to mix together 1 cup of beef broth or stock, 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbsp of Worchestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp soy sauce (I use light soy sauce), 1 Tbsp honey, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, and 4 minced garlic cloves. Pour this mixture on the roast and set the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours.

Roast is seasoned & in the crock pot; Mixture is ready to be poured on top.

When it is done cooking, use tongs to remove the meat to a plate and then ladle out the gravy into a bowl. The website that this recipe came from, Add A Pinch, mentioned shredding the beef. This concept did not compute. I served it like the picture at the top of the page with egg noodles as a side along with the gravy.

The flavor had a lot of depth. I can't think of much I would do differently. What I do plan to do next time is add a few halved red potatoes to the crock pot with the roast as it cooks. I think this dish would be more amazing with potatoes.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. Again, another Pinterest success.