Balsamic and Onion Pot roast

Whenever we get a beef we go through the meat in a certain order, steaks are gone first, followed by the burger and stew meat, and lastly we always have roasts.  It isn't that we don't like a good roast, but rather that I don't have a lot of experience producing a roast that is moist and juicy and flavorful.  I don't want to waste a good cut of meat on experimenting, so I usually wait until there are no other choices left and then make the roasts.

When this happened recently, I turned to Pinterest for inspiration.  If you have not checked this site out I am urging you to do so very soon.  It is a plethora of ideas of ALL kinds, but my favorite are the food boards.  I found this recipe that someone pinned from Kalyn's Kitchen.  It is a slow cooker roast recipe that is moist, tender, and full of flavor.  I LOVE the depth of flavors created by the balsamic vinegar and beef broth along with the sweet roasted onions.  We served it with creamy mashed potatoes and green salad.  ENJOY!

Balsamic and Onion Pot Roast

Recipe Source: modified slightly from Kalyn's Kitchen

3-4 pound boneless chuck roast
Seasoning Salt

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder
black pepper to taste
1-2 T olive oil (depends on your pan)
1/4 cup water to deglaze pan
2-3 large onions, peeled and thickly sliced
1 cup beef stock, reduced to 1/2 cup (can use a can of beef broth, but be sure to reduce it)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup tomato sauce

Rub meat well with seasoning salt, onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper. Heat heavy pan with small amount of olive oil and brown roast well on both sides. This will take a few minutes; don't rush the browning step.

While roast browns put 1 cup beef stock in saucepan, bring to a boil and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, then let cool slightly and mix in balsamic vinegar and tomato sauce. Peel onions and cut into thick slices.  

When the meat is brown on all sides, remove the meat and then deglaze pan with 1/4 cup water. Add the pan drippings to sauce mixture.

Place onions in bottom of slow cooker. Put meat on top of onions and pour beef stock mixture over. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, until beef is tender. The meat might be partly submerged in liquid after this much time.

Remove meat from slow cooker and cover with foil to keep warm. Drain liquid from Crockpot and remove as much of the fat as you can with fat separator or skimmer. Cook down liquid by about 1/3, and serve sauce with meat and onions.

The leftovers make GREAT sandwiches!!