Flavors and colors of fall make this dish both unique and nostalgic. I have been excited about making my first roast of the season but wanted to try something different different that had a pop of color and flavor. The cranberries cook down to little bursts of tart flavor and the red wine and honey build a rich foundation to pair with the berries. Finishing off on a bed of homemade whipped sweet potatoes completes the velvety finish of this traditional dish with a seasonal autumn flavor.
12 ounces pearl onion, skin removed, see notes for a shortcut
6 carrots, chopped
12 ounces fresh cranberries
6 cloves of garlic, smashed and roughly diced
1 cup red wine or another cup beef broth
2 cups low sodium beef broth
8 ounces cremini or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
3 TB worcestershire sauce
3 TB balsamic vinegar
3 TB honey
1 TB garlic salt
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Zest from 1 orange
Juice from half
Mashed sweet potatoes for serving
Directions
Remove roast from fridge 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking
Take roast out of packaging, pat dry and season both sides liberally with salt and fresh cracked pepper
In a skillet, heat 1 TB of oil over high heat
Add onions & carrots and sauté until just starting to brown (3 – 4 minutes), be sure not to cook through
Remove veggies from skillet and set aside
Add remaining TB of oil to skillet and return to high heat
Add the roast to the skillet
Sear and brown on both sides (about 5 minutes a side)
Remove roast from skillet and place it in the slow cooker
Carefully pour the wine into the hot skillet to deglaze the pan
Immediately add in the garlic to season while continuing to deglaze the skillet, scraping up any brown bits off the bottom
Remove the wine and garlic from heat and pour over the roast in the slow cooker
Add the beef broth, worcestershire, balsamic and honey to the slow cooker
Make sure the liquid reaches at least halfway up the roast, add more broth if needed, I prefer to have the liquid level almost even to the top of the roast
Add in the onions, carrots, cranberries, and mushrooms
Toss in the rosemary and thyme
Cover and set to high for 4-5 hours or low 7-8 hours
The roast is ready when it falls apart with a fork
Serve over mashed sweet potatoes and finish with a zest of orange
Recipe Note
*To easily peel pearl onions, bring a pot of water to a boil, chop off the root ends, drop onions in for 30 seconds, remove from heat and rinse with cold water. The skin should easily come off when pulled from the stem end.
