SLOW COOKER POT ROAST WITH CHARRED ONION & CHICKPEA SALAD

Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Charred Onion & Chickpea Salad image

This recipe shines a new light on a classic. Cooking a chuck roast slow-and-low allows it time to fully develop its flavor. Pair it with a fresh chickpea salad to brighten up the dish.

Provided by Hugh Acheson

Categories Slow Cooker Beef Chickpea Onion Carrot Red Wine Coriander Cilantro

Yield 6-8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 25

Ingredients

Pot roast:
1 boneless beef chuck roast (about 3 pounds)
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
4 medium carrots, large-diced
1 large sweet onion, large-diced
6 garlic cloves, smashed
6 bay leaves
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 quart beef stock, preferably homemade
1 quart dry red wine
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
Charred Onion and Chickpea Salad
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large red onion, halved lengthwise, root end of each half left intact
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 10 ounces dried chickpeas, cooked
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (from about 1 bunch)
4 red jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Kosher salt
Special Equipment
6-quart (or larger) slow cooker

Steps:

For the pot roast:
Pat the chuck roast dry and season it all over with salt and the pepper.
Place a large braising pan, such as a Dutch oven, over high heat and warm the canola oil in it until it shimmers. Add the chuck roast and sear it for about 5 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Transfer the roast to a plate to rest, and add the carrots and onion to the braising pan. Cook for 3 minutes on high heat, stirring, until the vegetables are starting to soften; then add the garlic, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs and cook for 1 minute more. Add the stock, red wine, and ground coriander and deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Cook for 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and carefully pour the contents into a slow cooker. Add the chuck roast, cover with the lid, and cook on the low setting for 8 to 10 hours, until very tender. Season with additional salt, if desired.
For the salad:
Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the canola oil, and when it begins to shimmer, add the onion halves, cut-side down, and char for about 10 minutes-you want them to be well blackened. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the onion halves cool to room temperature; then slice each half into 1/4-inch-thick half-rings.
In a medium bowl, combine the chickpeas, cilantro, jalapeños, charred onion slices, lemon juice, olive oil, and cumin. Toss well and season with salt to taste.
To serve:
Transfer the roast to a platter, discard the bay and thyme, and serve the Charred Onion and Chickpea Salad alongside.