SLOW ROAST TEMPERATURE RECIPES

Steps:

• Season the beef generously all over with about 1 heaping tablespoon salt. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add one chunk of the beef and sear on one side, undisturbed, until deeply browned, 5 minutes. Using tongs, remove the first chunk and place it in a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker. Repeat with the second and third pieces, searing one side and then placing the beef in the slow cooker. (You can certainly brown more than one side of each chunk, but one side is enough to build flavor without spending too much time on this step.)
• Add the pearl onions and garlic to the skillet. Season lightly with salt and generously with pepper and cook, stirring, until just softened, 3 minutes. Pour in the red wine, vinegar and 1/2 cup water. Scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon or spatula and let the mixture come to a bubble. Tip the mixture into the slow cooker, and add the herbs. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
• Make the pickled onions, if desired: Bring the vinegar and the sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over high. Add the pearl onions and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, to dissolve the sugar and warm the onions through, about 1 minute, then remove from heat. Set aside at room temperature to pickle until ready to serve, at least 1 hour. (Ideally, make the pickled onions in the morning, when you prep the dish. You could even make them up to 5 days ahead and store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator.)
• Uncover the slow cooker, flip the pieces of beef with tongs, and add the root vegetables, pushing them under the liquid. Cover and cook on low until the beef and vegetables are both very tender, an additional 4 to 5 hours. Check to see if the meat is tender by testing it with a fork; it should be juicy and flavorful, and pull apart easily. If the meat is not yet tender, cover and cook another 1 to 2 hours. (The amount of time can depend upon the leanness or fattiness of your cut, or how hot your slow cooker runs.) Using tongs and a slotted spoon, remove the beef and vegetables to a serving platter. Break the beef into large chunks to serve. Drizzle some cooking liquid over the top of the beef and vegetables, and top with drained pickled onions to serve. Discard the remaining cooking liquid or strain it, refrigerate it, discard the fat and freeze the remaining liquid as beef stock.
• If you’d prefer a thicker gravy, strain the cooking liquid into a medium pot and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, combine the butter and flour in a small bowl and knead it together with your fingers until it is uniform, almost like a dough. Once the liquid is boiling, drop the butter-flour mixture into the pot, whisking well to combine. Let it bubble until it is lightly thickened, about 5 minutes, then drizzle some gravy over the pot roast and vegetables, and top with the drained, pickled onions. Serve extra gravy on the side.

Steps:

• Take the beef out of the fridge and leave it to come up to temperature overnight or for at least three hours. Tip the garlic and all the herbs and spices into a large roasting tin and, using a blow torch or under a hot grill, singe the herbs until they start to smoulder (if using a grill to do this, do not leave it unattended), then leave to cool slightly.
• Heat oven to 100C/80C fan/gas ¼ . Rub a tbsp of salt over the meat, then sit the joint on top of the herbs. Pour over the wine, then tightly tent the tin in a couple of sheets of extra-wide foil. Roast in the oven for 1 hr, then reduce the temperature to 70C/50C fan (if you have a gas oven, don’t adjust the temperature), and slow roast for 3 hrs more.
• Remove the foil, then insert a digital probe into the middle of the joint – when the temperature reaches around 60C, it’s ready. If the meat is not up to temperature, increase oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2, and roast with the foil off, checking the temperature every 15 mins. While the beef is cooking, make the glaze by whisking all the ingredients together.
• When the beef is cooked, remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 230C/210C fan/gas 8. Return the beef to the oven for 5 mins to crisp and blister the fat, then generously brush the glaze all over the joint and return to the oven for 5 mins until sticky and slighty charred – keep an eye on it, as it will burn very easily at this stage. Lift the beef onto a chopping board and leave to rest for 20 mins.
• To make a herby gravy, put the roasting tin over a low heat and stir in the flour to make a gloopy paste. Add in any remaining glaze, then carefully pour in 500ml boiling water. Boil for a few minutes, then strain into a small pan and keep warm. Serve the beef in thick slices, with gravy on the side.