I find that using a slow cooker can be a real big help in making a home cooked meal without working too hard in the kitchen. One of our favorites is this tender slow cooked roast beef that I've been making for almost as long as I've owned a slow cooker. The flavor is amazing and the meat becomes so juicy and tender.
To seal in the flavor and moisture during the cooking process, I've found that it works especially well if I use a flour and spice mixture to coat the meat and then brown it on all sides in the pan. I use a mix of garlic powder, salt, pepper, oregano and of course sage. I absolutely can't get enough sage – I LOVE SAGE!
After browning this up in a pan it's ready to go into the slow cooker for a good 6-8 hours.
I know a person's not supposed to lift the lid on the slow cooker while it's doing it's thing but it's so hard to resist when all these lovely scents are filling the house. I peaked a couple times, I'll admit – I couldn't resist. 🙂
The roast turned out so incredible. This made plenty for supper and there's still lots to use for leftovers. I may use whatever I have left to make sandwiches.
I should also mention that the liquid in the slow cooker makes an excellent gravy!
It's real simple to make. I just mix a couple tablespoons of flour with some of the liquid in a little heat proof bowl while heating the rest of it in a pot on the stove. Once everything in the pot comes to a boil I pour in the flour mix and whisk so that there are no lumps. This should thicken up nicely but you can always adjust the amount of flour you use depending on your taste.
Tender Slow Cooker Roast Beef
Ingredients
- 4 lbs beef sirloin roast
- Vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half
Seasonings for Browning the meat:
- 1 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground sage
- 1/2 tsp dried sage
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 3 tbsps flour
For Pouring over the roast:
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsps Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp dried sage
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients above for the “Seasonings for Browning the meat”.
- Rub the beef with the seasonings and let them absorb into the surface some. Make sure all surfaces have been coated with the seasoning.
- In a large pan heat some oil at medium high.
- Brown the beef roast on all sides. Your goal here is just to brown the meat on all sides – not cook the meat through. That would take much too long. Browning the meat before putting it into the slow cooker allows the moisture to lock into the roast and make is deliciously tender.
- Once the beef has been browned on all sides, put the roast into the slow cooker along with the cut onion.
- Combine the ingredients “For pouring over the roast” in a measuring cup or bowl.
- Pour the mixture over the top of the roast.
- Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW setting for 6-8 hours.
- Once the roast has finished you can skim the fat from the juices inside the cooker and use it to make a delicious gravy if you like.
