I have a confession to make. I have never cooked a pot roast before. I’m not a big beef eater and up to now I have only ever cooked ground beef or beef cubes. Any other beef dish we eat is made by Eric. He’s back to traveling a lot once again, so I decided I needed to branch out with what I am willing to cook. Pot roast it was!

Coffee Braised Pot Roast with some roasted carrots & potatoes on the side.

Given my recent success with using coffee in a recipe, I jumped on the chance to make this pot roast with a hint of coffee & some Balsamic vinegar. I made it for friends first then I made it for Eric. It was a two for one experiment for me; I had never made gravy before, either. I have to say that both the pot roast & the gravy came out well and it wasn’t hard. That being said, I still prefer when Eric does the cooking!

Coffee-Braised Pot Roast with Caramelized Onions (adapted from eatingwell.com)

Makes: 6 – 12 servings  Prep time: 30 minutes; Crock Pot time: 4-5 hours on High, 7-8 hours on Low; Additional time: 10 minutes for the gravy

Ingredients:

• 1 4-pound beef chuck roast, trimmed of fat
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced (4 cups)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Directions:

Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a high sided sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and sear the meat, turning from time to time, until it is well browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer it to the crock pot.

Sear the chunk of meat on as many sides as you can to seal in the juices.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan. Add the onions and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the onions, stirring often, until they are softened and golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook while stirring, for an additional minute. Stir in the coffee and vinegar. Bring it all to a simmer for 3 minutes.

After the onions, garlic & thyme cook, the coffee & vinegar deglaze the pan.

Transfer the onion mixture to the crock pot, covering the beef. Cook the meat & onions in the crock pot for about 4-5 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low, turning the meat occasionally to keep it moist. The meat is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165º F.

The caramelized onions go on top of the meat.

When the meat is done, set the meat on a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Pour the liquid from the crock pot into a sauce pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the cornstarch and water mixture to the liquid and whisk the gravy until it thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Season the gravy with salt & some pepper.

While the meat is resting, make the gravy.

Carve the beef and serve with the gravy and some roasted vegetables.

We serve our pot roast with carrots, potatoes & parsnips we’ve roasted in the oven.

Time to bring the slow cookers out of summer storage!  ~Linda

Coffee-Braised Pot Roast with Caramelized Onions (adapted from eatingwell.com)

Makes: 6 -12 servings  Prep time: 30 minutes; Crock Pot time: 4-5 hours on High, 7-8 hours on Low; Additional time: 10 minutes for the gravy.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 4-pound beef chuck roast, trimmed of fat
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced (4 cups)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Directions:

Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a high sided sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and sear the meat, turning from time to time, until it is well browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer it to the crock pot.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan. Add the onions and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the onions, stirring often, until they are softened and golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook while stirring, for an additional minute. Stir in the coffee and vinegar.  Bring it all to a simmer for 3 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to the crock pot, covering the beef. Cook the meat & onions in the crock pot for about 4-5 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low, turning the meat occasionally to keep it moist. The meat is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165º.

When the meat is done, set the meat on a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Pour the liquid from the crock pot into a sauce pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the cornstarch and water mixture to the liquid and whisk the gravy until it thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Season the gravy with a touch of salt & some pepper. Carve the beef and serve with the gravy and some roasted vegetables.