12
votes
I got a 2.5 lbs roast beef I need to do something with prior to this Thursday
So usually every couple weeks I make a pot roast on the weekend, however my crock pot broke I discovered, just prior to making it. My girlfriend and I need to eat it prior to leaving town this Thursday after work. As I have work all week, I don't have time to make an 8 hour pot roast, so I need an idea of what I can do with this thing.
Braised beef stew, if you have a Dutch oven (you might even be able to use your slow cooker liner and just cover it with foil?) Slice your pot roast into big chunks, sear it, pull it out and saute some carrots, onion, maybe some celery. If you'd like, you could deglaze with wine here, add tomato paste or garlic, the world's your oyster.
Add everything back, add 4 or so cups of stock (chicken or beef will both taste good), season to taste and cover the top loosely with foil or the lid if you have a proper Dutch Oven. Put it into an OVEN at at 350 for 2-3 hours, until the meat is soft. Check on it a few times, you can add water if it's boiling off too fast.
If you want a thicker sauce, you can add some (a tablespoon or three) flour to the meat after searing it. You could also throw in some barley to cook when it has 40 or so minutes left (add extra water with to make sure the bottom doesn't burn)
We do almost exactly this, and it is excellent. You can also flour the chunks of beef before you sear them. If you are not a seasoning guru, as I am not, then (at least in the US), McCormick's makes a decent seasoning packet for beef stew.
If you have an oven, you could just roast it in there and you wouldn't have to change much from your plan.
You might consider taking the L and seeing if there’s a neighbor who wants to trade for something, or owe you a favor for later. Maybe someone has some Christmas cookies they need to make go away?
Do you have a freezer large enough to store it until you buy another crock pot and have the time to use it?
If so, these articles from LiveStrong sound like decent advice:
https://www.livestrong.com/article/483577-how-to-freeze-a-roast-beef/
https://www.livestrong.com/article/485669-how-to-defrost-a-frozen-beef-roast-in-water/
Could you sear it on the outside, then cut it into bitesized chunks for a stew and let it cook for 2-3 hours rather than 8?
Depending on how brothy your final dish is from the initial preparation you choose, leftovers can be used for piroshki or other similar stuffed buns. They're cozy food and can be easily frozen to be eaten on another day.