Slow-Cooker Roast Beef with Mushroom Gravy

By DreiFromBK

For an evenly cooked, medium-rare roast from the slow cooker, we first salt an eye-round roast overnight, brown it well in a skillet, and then build a gravy in the same pan. Cremini mushrooms form the base of the gravy, along with onion, tomato paste, flour, and beef broth. To boost the mushroom flavor, we add potent porcini mushrooms. The roast and gravy cook together for 1½ to 2 hours, for a perfect rosy medium-rare roast. Be sure to slice the roast as thin as possible to ensure tenderness.

Ingredients

• Serves 6 to 8
• Trim all visible fat from the surface of the roast. Note that the roast needs to rest for at least 18 hours after salting. If your roast is less than 4 pounds, begin checking the internal temperature at 1 hour. Take the temperature as quickly as possible.
• Ingredients
• 1 (4-pound) boneless beef eye-round roast, trimmed
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed, halved, and sliced thin
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups beef broth
• 1/8 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Details

Adapted from cookscountry.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Sprinkle roast all over with 4 teaspoons salt. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 18 hours or up to 24 hours.

2. Pat roast dry with paper towels; rub with 1 tablespoon oil and season with pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Sear roast until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Set roast in slow cooker.

3. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add cremini mushrooms, onion, tomato paste, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour to coat vegetables and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth until incorporated, scraping up any browned bits. Add porcini mushrooms and thyme and bring to boil. Pour broth mixture around roast. Cover and cook on low heat until meat registers 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

4. Transfer roast to carving board, tent with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. (Leave slow cooker on “warm” setting to keep gravy hot.) Whisk butter and parsley into gravy and season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice roast thin against grain and serve with gravy.