Beef Pot Roast with Root Vegetables
From:	Marielle, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
Comments:	Delicious old-fashioned pot roast with a rich-tasting sauce. It is important to dice the vegetables finely, into 1/4 to 1/2-inch [1 to 1.3-cm] dices, brown the meat well, and bring the water to a full boil before pouring it in. Excellent served into large chunks, along with boiled egg noodles, or mashed potatoes. Medium oval or large round slow cooker.
Servings:	4 to 6
Ingredients	Preparation
1 [3-pound /1.4-kg] boneless chuck roast 2 tablespoons [30 mL] olive oil, or more is needed 1/2 cup [125 mL] fine carrot dices 1/2 cup [125 mL] fine celery dices, with a few leaves 1/2 cup [125 mL] fine turnip dices 1/2 cup [125 mL] fine onion dices 1/2 teaspoon [2.5 mL] salt 1/4 teaspoon [1 mL] freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup [125 mL] dry red wine 3/4 cup [190 mL] water	Trim meat of as much fat as possible; blot dry meat. Heat 1 tablespoon [15 mL] of the olive oil into a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrot, celery, turnip and onion dices. Cook stirring every once in a while until softened, for approximately 5 minutes; transfer to the slow cooker. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon [15 mL] olive oil into the same skillet over medium-high heat. Well brown meat on first side, for approximately 2 to 3 minutes if the skillet is really hot, a little longer if not. If meat is really lean and seems to start sticking to the skillet, pour in a little more olive oil before turning the meat with tongs to brown on other side. Season meat with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer meat into slow cooker, on top of vegetables. Pour dry red wine into skillet. Bring to a boil scraping up any brown bits stuck to the skillet, until wine has reduced to a syrupy consistency, for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour it all over the meat. Pour water into skillet and bring to a full boil. Pour over the meat, cover slow cooker and cook on 'LOW' for 8 to 9 hours. To serve, transfer meat to a cutting board scraping any clinging vegetable bits back into the cooker. Pour vegetables and liquid through a meash strainer set over a bowl. Using the back of spoon, press hard on the vegetables extracting as much liwuid as possible; discard the vegetables. Allow this gravy to settle for a few minutes so that the fat rises to the surface. Skim off as much of it as possible from the gravy. Slice the pot roast against the grain and serve, coated with gravy.