pretty by the bay

I recently bought a Crock Pot in an attempt to spend less of my evening slaving away at the stove. What I’ve discovered, though, is that Crock Pot cooking still requires a little slaving – you just do it in the morning before you go to work. Chopping onions at 7 a.m. is hardly glamorous, but the effort is worth it when I come home to a warm meal that simmers to perfection while I’m at work. My most recent Crock Pot meal comes courtesy of POM Wonderful (which was kind enough to send me some glorious free samples!) and Stephanie O’Dea, whose slow-cooker blog is filled with impressive Crock Pot recipes and techniques. An average chuck roast turned into something delectable when it simmered in a sauce made with pomegranate juice, fire roasted tomatoes, maple syrup and balsamic vinegar. I threw the meat and sauce in the Crock Pot along with onion, garlic and golden raisins, which got nice and plump after 8 hours of slow cooking. This dish was delicious straight from the pot, and even better the second day after I shredded the meat and let it sit in the sauce overnight.

Consider this recipe the next time you’re looking for an alternative to your tried and true pot roast recipe. Admittedly, the pomegranate juice is a little pricey, but it makes a ton of sauce – and you can usually find Pom Wonderful in 16 oz bottles if you’re concerned about leftovers going to waste.

Slow Cooker Pomegranate Beef

adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking

serves 8

1 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp herbes de Provence
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 lb beef chuck roast
4 garlic cloves (whole is fine, or you can chop them)
1 14 oz can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, such as Muir Glen (note: if you can’t find crushed, buy diced and puree them in the blender)
1 c unsweetened pomegranate juice, such as POM Wonderful
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 c golden raisins

Swirl the olive oil into the bottom of a large slow cooker (the original recipe suggests 6 qt or larger). Add the onion. Combine the cinnamon, herbes de Provence, salt and pepper in a small bowl and rub on all sides of the meat. Add to the slow cooker along with the garlic, tomatoes, pomegranate juice, vinegar, and syrup. Sprinkle the raisins on top. Cover the slow cooker and set to low. Cook for 8 hours or until the meat is tender. You can serve the met in chunks or use two forks to shred it. Serve the sauce as is, or take 1/2 to 3/4 cup and simmer it over medium high heat until it reduces and thickens slightly.