French Love Affair Crockpot Peppered Herbes De Provence Roast |
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Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 360 Minutes |
Ready In: 390 Minutes Servings: 4 |
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Annacia's recipe sounds lovely and I hope these modifications will do the original recipe justice. I could not find lavendar flowers anywhere, and went to 3 markets, so I substituted Herbes de Provence (with lavendar) for the original ingredient. For this recipe a 2-pound grass-fed beef chuck roast was used; a larger roast can be used and the measures and cooking time would be about the same. I chose to cook this on high temperature for 2 hours, then low for 4 hours. Longer lower temperature cooking times will produce a roast that is so tender you can eat it with a spoon. Bon appetit . NOTE: Make sure to measure your peppercorns before grinding. Ingredients:
1 beef chuck roast (1-2 pounds) |
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil |
2 tablespoons herbes de provence |
1 tablespoon ground fennel |
1 -2 tablespoon mixed peppercorns, ground |
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme |
4 -6 medium-large red potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds |
1 lb sliced carrot |
1 medium onion, sliced very thin into rounds and separated |
salt, to taste |
2 cups beef broth, for the crock pot (and au jus) |
additional herbes de provence and thyme, for seasoning potatoes and carrots |
Directions:
1. Mix the herbes de provence, ground fennel, ground pepper and thyme together.
2. Pat the beef dry with paper towels (this is important as surface moisture will interfere with good browning). Lightly oil outside of the roast with the olive oil.
3. Rub the mixture over the roast so that all surfaces are coated with the herbs.
4. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Sear the roast on all sides (about 3 rotations, approximately 1 minutes each). When browned, immediately remove from heat.
5. NOTE: for best results, fill the crockpot 2/3 full with roast and vegetables; this produces the best results when using a crockpot.
6. Add the beef broth to crockpot.
7. Add the roast to the crockpot. Layer carrots, potatoes and onions on top and sides of roast, sprinkling each layer with herbes, thyme, and salt, as desired.
8. Cook on high for 2 hours, then reduce temperature to low and cook an additional 4 hours.
9. When ready to serve, carefully remove roast (it may fall apart) to platter, and surround with carrots, potatoes and onions. This will not make as pretty a presentation as a roast and vegetables roasted in the oven; the crockpot tends to turn things a dull brown color, but the flavors are usually magnified.
10. Add au jus as desired.
11. Serve with a green salad and toasted french bagette slices with butter.
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