Since when do you make Pot Roast?

Um ... since never. Remember I gave our wedding crockpot away to my brother who got more use out of it working on his boat than I ever did. Everything I made in it tasted like cardboard. But I'm determined to change that.

Recently my husband spent the night at my parents and he came home raving about this Pot Roast my mom made. What? Since when does she make pot roasts? (Like mother, like daughter.) So after about the 5th time hearing him say I needed to get this recipe I finally did. He was right, an excellent twist on pot roast. Who knew you could put olives in a Sunday Roast?

Thank you Alton Brown from Food Network. I'm hopeful my crockpot and I will be friends again.

Ingredients

• 1 (2-pound) blade cut chuck roast
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• Vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 5 to 6 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 cup tomato juice
  
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup cocktail olives, drained and broken
• 1/2 cup dark raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 190-200 degrees F. Place a wide, heavy skillet or fry pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, rub both sides of meat with the salt and cumin. When the pan is hot (really hot) brown meat on both sides and remove from pan. Add just enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pan then add the onion and garlic. Stir constantly until onion is softened.

Add the tomato juice, vinegar, olives, and raisins. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid by half. Create a pouch with wide, heavy duty aluminum foil. Place half the reduced liquid/chunk mixture on the foil, add the roast, and then top with the remaining mixture. Close the pouch, and wrap tightly in another complete layer of foil. Cook for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until a fork pushes easily into the meat. Remove from oven and rest (still wrapped) for at least 1/2 hour. Snip off 1 corner of the foil pouch and drain the liquid into a bowl or measuring cup. Add some of the "chunkies" and puree with an immersion blender. Slice meat thinly, or pull apart with a fork. Serve with sauce.

Or ... do what I did, cook the onions until soft ... and then add the other stuff to the crockpot and walk away. Then blend a few of the chunkies and voila!