Oktoberfest starts September 17, and we wanted to help you kick off your festivities with this German pot roast inspired by West Via Midwest and a side of perfectly seasoned garlic herb potatoes from Delish Knowledge.
Pot roast is a slow cooker staple, and with CrockPockets, you can add in a side that’s also fit for Oktoberfest. Our immediate thought? Potatoes — a staple of German food! We kept this recipe easy, using fingerling potatoes and a variety of spices you can adjust as needed.
German Pot Roast
What you’ll need:
- 1.5 - 2 cups beef broth
- .5 cup red wine
- .5 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 large onion, cut into 1/4" strips
- 6 cloves garlic, 3, minced, 3 smashed
- 1 teaspoon cloves, whole
- 4 sprigs thyme
- .5 tablespoon thyme, minced
- 1 teaspoon juniper berries
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 1-2 pound boneless beef chuck roast
- generous amount salt and pepper to season beef before browning
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- .5 pound baby carrots
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/4 cup gingersnap cookies, crumbs
- parsley for garnish
How to Cook the Pot Roast
- Combine 2 cups broth, wine, vinegar, one of the onions, the crushed garlic, sprigs of thyme, juniper berries, peppercorns and cloves in a pan. Bring to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes. Allow cooling completely.
- Once marinade has cooled, place the roast in a large ziplock bag and pour the marinade over the top. Seal the bag after removing any air pockets. Place bag in fridge to marinate for up to 48 hours. Turn a couple of times to make sure meat is well covered in all edges.
- Once marinade is done remove the meat from the zip lock bag. Strain solids, reserving 2 cups of the vinegar/wine liquid. Use a paper towel to dry roast, and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Preheat a large pot (or if your slow cooker allows, heat that to high. Add olive oil and once hot, add the roast browning all sides for about 4 minutes per side. (top, bottom and the sides too.)
- Place the roast in the bottom of the slow cooker (or on a side plate if you are using the slow cooker container). Caramelize the remaining onions, and the carrots for 5-7 minutes until the onions are softened and starting to brown and the carrots are starting to brown too. Then add the flour, garlic and thyme leaves and stir for 3 mins more. Remove the vegetables and deglaze the pan with the strained marinade and the remaining cup of broth, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Place the meat and carrots into the slow cooker then pour the liquid over the top. Turn the slow cooker to low and cook for 7-8 hours (check the manual for cooking roast, each machine is slightly different.) Once the roast is easily pulled apart and tender remove the meat and vegetables to a side plate. Slice the meat thinly (1/4" thick)
- Add the crushed gingersnaps, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon a couple of spoonfuls of the sauce over the roast and veggies then place the gravy in a gravy boat for people to sauce their own.
Garlic Herb Potatoes
What You’ll Need
- Fingerling Potatoes
- Olive oil
- Garlic Cloves
- Dried herbs, like oregano, basil and dill
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh lemon juice
How to Cook the Garlic Potatoes
Lightly spray your CrockPocket with a bit of Pam or olive oil spray (optional, but some people find it helps the potatoes not stick together while cooking)
- Place the potatoes, olive oil, garlic, herbs and salt/pepper into the pot.
- Stir together, then cover and cook on low heat for 4 to 5 hours or on high heat for 2 to 3 hours, until potatoes are fork-tender.
- Add lemon juice and toss in lemon juice just before serving until combined.