This Slow Cooker Stracotto (fancy word for pot roast) recipe is adapted from Giada De Laurentiis at Food Network. It uses pot roast beef with porcini mushrooms and carrots.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 x 2 kg pot roast
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 250 ml dry red wine
• 400 ml beef stock
• 15 g dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 bunch carrots, peeled and halved if large, and cut into 3-inch pieces
• egg noodles or mashed potatoes, to serve

Method

1. Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the beef generously with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until brown on all sides, about 15 minutes total cooking time. Transfer the beef to the slow cooker.
3. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan, add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, until tender, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
4. Add the wine and boil for 1 minute. Stir in the broth and mushrooms. Bring the liquid to a boil. Carefully pour the liquid into the slow cooker. Add the carrots.
5. Cook on low for 8 hours, or until the meat and carrots are tender.
6. Transfer the beef to a cutting board. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the carrots to a serving bowl. Tent the beef with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, spoon any excess fat off the top of the sauce in the slow cooker. Using a hand-held blender, blend the sauce, onions, and garlic into a smooth puree. (If you don’t have a hand-held blender, transfer the sauce and vegetables to a blender and puree.) Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Cut the beef across the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange the sliced beef on a platter and spoon the sauce over. Serve with egg noodles or mashed potatoes, passing the remaining sauce in a sauceboat.