East Meets West Slow Braised Chuck Roast

By nasilemak • February 11, 2012 • 0 Comments

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Author Notes: An easy braise in a slow cooker with a mix of eastern and western flavorings, yielding a rustic, robust, aromatic and fork tender meal. Perfect for the cold weather and even tastier the day after! - nasilemak

Serves 6

3.5 pounds Boneless chuck roast
4 Medium Red bliss potato, quartered
5 Medium Carrot, peeled and cut 2 inch pieces
1 Large Yellow Onion, sliced
.75 cups Red wine
8 Garlic cloves, roasted or raw whole
1 Ginger, one piece about 2 inches long, sliced thin
.25 cups Cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Coriander seed, toasted in a dry hot pan until fragrant
2 teaspoons Fennel seed, toasted in a dry hot pan until fragrant
1.5 teaspoons Caraway seed
1 star anise
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra to taste
1.5 teaspoons Black peppercorns, freshly ground
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 tablespoons minced parsley for garnish, optional

Salt and pepper the meat on all sides. Add canola oil to a large hot skillet and brown the chuck roast on all sides, about 12 minutes. Set aside the meat and drain off the excess oil in skillet until a tablespoon remains.
Saute the sliced onion in the same skillet over medium heat until lightly brown. Deglaze skillet with red wine and scape up the bits on the bottom of the skillet.
Place the carrots on the bottom of the slow cooker, followed by the meat, the onions and red wine. Nestle the potatoes around the meat. Add the remaining ingredients plus 3 to 4 cups of cold water. The liquid should cover no more than half of the meat.
Cover the slow cooker and set it to cook on a low setting for 8 hours.
Check the meat after 8 hours. It should be fork tender. Remove the meat, garlic cloves and vegetables and place on a large warm serving platter. Remove and discard ginger and star anise. Defat the broth. Garnish with parsley and serve some of the broth with the dish. Note - The remaining broth could be later used as a soup stock or a flavorful broth for an Asian noodle dish.