Crockpot Chuck Roast

The meat is cooked in a slow cooker, which makes it really soft and succulent. The fruity wine sauce is both sweet and savory. As my family and guests quipped, “This is restaurant worthy!”

SERVES 7–8

• 3¹⁄₂–4-lb (1¹⁄₂–2-kg) chuck roast
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2–3 sweet potatoes, cubed
• 2–3 carrots, thickly sliced
• 3 Tbsp fresh orange juice
• 2 Tbsp silan
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• ³⁄₄ cup zinfandel wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup frozen mixed berries
• 1¹⁄₂ cups water

Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper and rub the spices in well.

Place onion, garlic, and olive oil in a 6-liter slow cooker and mix together. Add sweet potatoes and carrots. Place chuck roast on top of the veggie mixture.

Combine orange juice, silan, and soy sauce in a small bowl and pour over meat, rubbing it in all over. Pour wine around the roast. Add bay leaf. Add berries around the meat. Pour in water.

Turn slow cooker to high and cook for 6 hours or until meat is very tender. If you’re home during this time, rotate the meat in the pot periodically. You can also set on low and cook for approximately 10 hours.

All slow cookers operate differently, so adjust your time accordingly. Cool meat before slicing.

Note: Zinfandel is a spicy, fruity wine with blueberry, cherry, raspberry, and plum undertones. It adds incredible flavor here, so don’t swap it for another wine.

Tip: To calculate how many servings your meat will yield, assume approximately ¹⁄₃ pound raw meat per person.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 712)