Table Terrain Fall Pot Roast

A comforting fall classic adapted for the slow cooker, with a beautifully browned chuck roast, warm spices, white wine, and a rich, savory gravy. Serves 6–8.

Ingredients

Spice rub

• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon salt (personal recipe adjustment; use less if broth is salted)

Pot roast

• 1 boneless chuck or top blade roast, 3–4 pounds
• 2 slices bacon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 1 cup beef or chicken broth, preferably unsalted
• 1 tablespoon sherry
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf

Gravy and serving

• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Boiled or steamed new potatoes and carrots, optional

Slow Cooker Instructions

1. Combine the thyme, cloves, allspice, cardamom, pepper and salt. Rub over the roast.
2. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven until the fat renders. Remove bacon and reserve; leave about 1 tablespoon fat in the pot. Add olive oil.
3. Brown the roast on all sides over medium-high heat, about 3–4 minutes per side. Transfer to slow cooker.
4. Sauté the onion and diced carrots in the same pot for about 8 minutes.
5. Add wine, broth, sherry, tomato paste and bay leaf. Scrape up the browned bits and simmer for 3–5 minutes.
6. Pour vegetables and liquid over roast. Cover and cook on LOW for 8–9 hours (preferred), or HIGH for 5–6 hours, until fork-tender.
7. Transfer roast to a platter and tent with foil. Remove bay leaf. Pour cooking liquid into a saucepan; optionally blend vegetables into the sauce for a smooth gravy.
8. Simmer the gravy. Stir cornstarch into cold water and whisk into the sauce; cook 2–3 minutes until thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning.
9. Serve roast with gravy, parsley and separately cooked new potatoes or carrots.

Table Terrain Cooking Notes

Don't skip searing or deglazing: the browned bits give the gravy depth. Use unsalted broth with the full tablespoon of salt. Cooking potatoes separately keeps their texture intact. The original cookbook oven temperature is 250°F; a handwritten oven variation notes 325°F, but this version is written specifically for the slow cooker.

Adapted from the Master Recipe for Country Pot Roast in The Yellow Farmhouse Cookbook, with personal revisions.