Get the Recipe:Tangy Tomato Pot Roast (Slow Cooker or Oven)
This easy and delicious pot roast with tomato sauce has fall-apart tender beef, carrots and potatoes, all cooked in a tangy tomato sauce. Can be made in the oven or a slow cooker!
4-5mediumyellow-fleshed potatoes, cut into chunks, peeled or unpeeled (or mini potatoes halved)
4-5carrots, peeled and cut into chunks (halved if thick)
1mediumonion, peeled and thinly sliced
For the beef:
3 - 3 1/2lb.boneless beef roast, inside or outside round, blade or cross-rib works well
1Tablespoonolive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Tomato Sauce:
2cupspassata , or canned crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
1/4cuplight brown sugar, packed
2TablespoonsWorcestershire sauce
2Tablespoonscider vinegar
2-3fresh thyme sprigs, or 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1teaspoonsalt, plus more, to taste
Freshly ground pepper
To thicken:
1Tablespooncornstarch
1Tablespoonwater
To serve:
Fresh parsley or thyme sprigs
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Instructions
For both the slow cooker and oven method:
Prepare the potatoes and carrots and have ready. Stir together the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or pan over medium-high heat. *For oven method, use an Dutch oven with a lid or a similar oven-safe roasting pan.
If the beef roast has a string around it, don't remove the string. Pat the roast dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Place into the pan with the hot oil. Sear the beef roast on booth sides until well browned, about 3 minutes per side.
Remove the beef roast to a plate.
For the oven method:
Preheat oven to 325F / 165C (not fan assisted)
Scatter the prepared potatoes, carrots and onions on the bottom of the Dutch oven. Return the beef roast to the pan, placing it on top of the vegetables. Pour the tomato sauce over the beef. Scatter a few thyme sprigs over the vegetables. Cover the pot and place into the preheat oven.
Cook the pot roast covered in the oven for 3-4 hours, or until the beef easily pulls apart with a fork is inserted or until the beef reaches about 200F (93F) when tested with an instant read thermometer. Tip! It can be difficult to pull the beef apart when it is tied up. It's fine to snip the string now, if that helps.
When the beef is tender, remove the pot from the oven. Remove the beef to a large plate and set aside. Tip! This is the point I try to remove some of the fat from the pan. Use a spoon to move the vegetables and liquid to one end of the pan, then lift the end with the vegetables up a bit. The fat should flow to the low and empty end, where you can spoon it off and discard. *Careful, the pot is hot!
With the fat spooned off, mix together the cornstarch and water and drizzle over the vegetables and gravy in the pot. Stir until the gravy thickens.
Cut, remove and discard the string from the beef roast. Use two forks to pull the beef apart into chunks. Return the chunks to the pot with the vegetables and gravy and stir to coat and re-warm (you can turn a bit of heat under the pan if needed). Taste the gravy and add additional salt and pepper, if needed.
For the slow cooker method:
Scatter the prepared potatoes, carrots, and onions in the bottom of a slow cooker. Place the seared beef roast on top of the vegetables, then pour the tomato sauce over-top. Scatter a couple of fresh thyme sprigs over the vegetables.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook covered on LOW for about 6-8 hours, or until beef is fall-apart tender.
When the beef is tender, remove the pot from the oven. Remove the beef to a large plate and set aside. Tip! This is the point I try to remove some of the fat from the pan. Use a spoon to move the vegetables and liquid to one end of the pan, then lift the end with the vegetables up a bit. The fat should flow to the low and empty end, where you can spoon it off and discard.
With the fat spooned off, mix together the cornstarch and water and drizzle over the vegetables and gravy in the slow cooker. Stir until the gravy thickens.
Cut, remove and discard the string from the beef roast. Use two forks to pull the beef apart into chunks. Return the chunks to the slow cooker with the vegetables and gravy and stir to coat and re-warm. Taste the gravy and add additional salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve immediately with a salad, a nice green vegetables and/or crusty bread or roll.
Refrigerate left-overs well covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or freeze up to 3 months.
Notes
Note! The time indicated is for the lesser time when using the slow cooker. The oven method will take 3-4 hours, depending on the precise size of the beef roast. The slow cooker method will take 6-8 hours when cooked on the LOW setting.For the oven method: If your beef roast is smaller or larger, simply decrease or increase the oven time.