CrockPot Recipe for Southwestern Pot Roast

For some reason I'm just starting to use my crockpot slow cooker this winter, and this easy pot roast recipe which uses salsa and canned beef broth is something I made last weekend and loved how it turned out. The recipe is easy enough qualify for Easy South Beach Recipes (less than 5 ingredients) and with some Black Beans with Cilantro served on the side, this could be a delicious phase one meal for South Beach Dieters. Even if you have no interest whatsoever in dieting, I can promise you this tastes great!

I always use boneless chuck roast for pot roast, and trim as much fat as possible before browning the meat. When the roast is done, I use a fat separator to remove fat from the sauce or gravy if needed. If you haven't made pot roast, you can see more about those techniques in the recipe for Stove-top Pot Roast with Mushrooms and Sage. You might also want to read How to Make Pot Roast in a Crockpot, with a recipe for balsamic and onion pot roast I made last year. I used a small 2 1/2 Quart Crockpot for this recipe, so if you only have a larger size, you might want to double the recipe and freeze some. If you don't have a crockpot, this could be cooked on top of the stove in a heavy dutch oven, just keep the temperature as low as you can.

Southwestern Pot Roast Cooked in the CrockPot
(Makes about 4 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

3 lb. boneless chuck roast, trimmed of visible fat
1 can reduced sodium beef broth
1 cup + 1/4 cup your favorite salsa (I used Pace Picante Sauce - mild. For South Beach Diet choose salsa with less than 2 grams sugar per serving)
steak rub or your favorite seasoning for steak to rub on meat before browning (I like Pride of Szeged Steak Rub)
1-2 tsp. olive oil for browning meat

Put beef broth in a small saucepan, removing any fat that has collected on top in the can. Boil until the broth is reduced to 1/2 cup.

While beef broth is reducing, trim all visible fat from chuck roast. You may need to cut the roast into several pieces to remove big pockets of fat. Rub pot roast on all side with steak rub (or your favorite seasonings for steak.) Heat olive oil in heavy frying pan (pans that aren't nonstick will give the best browning.) Brown roast well on all sides. Don't rush this step because browning provides flavor, and I think it's especially important in crockpot cooking.

When roast is browned on all sides, put pieces of meat in crockpot, arranging them in a single layer. Pour reduced beef broth into frying pan and use a metal turner to scrape off any carmelized bits from the browned meat. Add salsa and stir into broth, then pour salsa/beef broth mixture over pot roast.

Cook on high for one hour, then turn to low and cook 3-4 more hours, or until meat is very tender when pierced with a fork. (You could also cook for a longer time on low setting. If you don't have a slow cooker, cook in a heavy dutch oven on stovetop at lowest setting for 2-3 hours.) Remove meat from crockpot and pour sauce into small saucepan. (If there is a lot of fat on top of the sauce, spoon it off or use a fat separator to remove the fat. You may not need to do this if you did a good job trimming.) Put meat back into crockpot to keep warm, then add final 1/4 cup salsa to the sauce and simmer until reduced to about 1 cup.

To serve, slice meat across the grain and serve hot, with sauce spooned over the top. I also think this meat would be great served as a filling for tacos or burritos.

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South Beach Suggestions:
This pot roast is great for any phase of the South Beach Diet as long as you are careful about eliminating fat and choose a salsa that is low in sugar. For phase one, this would taste great with Black Beans with Cilantro, Cucumber and Avocado Salad with Lime, Mint, and Feta, or Garbanzo, Tomato, And Cilantro Salad with Lime and Chile Dressing. For phase two or three, you could serve the meat inside low-carb whole wheat tortillas, or choose a side dish with rice, like Black Bean, Rice, and Cilantro Salad.

More Pot Roast Recipes to Try:
(Recipes from other blogs may not always be South Beach Diet friendly, check ingredients.)
Stove-top Pot Roast with Mushrooms and Sage
Crockpot Recipe for Balsamic and Onion Pot Roast
Crockpot Recipe for Pot Roast with Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce
Italian Pot Roast from Simply Recipes
Pot Roast from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Red Wine Pot Roast with Honey and Thyme from Je Mange la Ville
Terry's Mysterious Pot Roast (with curry paste) from Blue Kitchen
Tuscan Style Beef Pot Roast Stuffed with Marrow and Rosemary from Meathenge
Pot Roast with a Kick from Blog Appetit
Slow Cooked Roast Beef with Fresh Sage and Dried Tomatoes from The Inadvertent Gardener