Lunch: Beef Pot Roast

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 lb piece of beef chuck roast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, chopped into eighths
1 tbsp whole-grain mustard
2/3 cup Madeira wine
About 1 cup dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 1/2 cup warm water for 20 mins, strained, and liquid reserved
2 cups hot beef stock for the slow cooker (3 cups for the traditional method)
Handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

Slow cooker method:Cook, 25 mins precooking; Auto/Low 8 hrsPreheat the slow cooker, if required. Heat half the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper, add it to the pot, and cook for 6-8 minutes on each side until golden. It is ready when it lifts away from the bottom of the pot easily. Remove and set aside. Heat the remaining oil in the pot over medium heat, add the onion, and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft. Stir in the mustard, increase the heat, and add the Madeira wine. Cook for a minute, then add the drained mushrooms. Transfer everything to the slow cooker, including the beef. Add the stock and the strained mushroom liquid. Cover with the lid and cook on auto/low for 8 hours. Taste and season as necessary. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes or baby cubed roasted potatoes. Traditional method:Cook, 2 1/2 hoursPreheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Heat half the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper, add it to the pot, and cook for 6-8 minutes on each side until golden. It is ready when it lifts away from the bottom of the pot easily. Remove and set aside. Heat the remaining oil in the pot over medium heat, add the onion, and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft. Stir in the mustard, increase the heat, and add the Madeira wine. Cook for a minute, then add the drained mushrooms, beef stock, and the strained mushroom liquid. Bring to a boil and stir, then reduce to a simmer and return the beef to the pot. Cover with the lid and put in the oven for 2 hours. Check occasionally that it's not drying out, topping up with a little hot water if needed. Be careful not to add too much, however, or this will dilute the flavor. Taste and season as necessary. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes or baby cubed roasted potatoes. Freezes up to 1 month.
Reprinted with permission from The Slow Cook Book by Heather Whinney, DK Publishing copyright (c) 2011