Cranberry Pot Roast: a review

The woman, Stephanie O'Dea, who motivated me to make my weekly-slow-cooking resolution has two cookbooks out.  I bought More Make it Fast, Cook it Slow, released on December 28, 2010, off of Amazon with an Amazon gift card that I received for Christmas (thanks to my Aunt Annette and Uncle Graham!).  The great thing about this cookbook, other than that every single recipe is made in a slow cooker, is that it contains over 200 recipes divided into three sections: $7 and under, $10 and under, and $15 and under.  Each of the three sections is then divided by course.  I've already marked dozens of recipes that I am looking forward to testing on Winnie's dad, including some beverages and appetizers that I'd never thought about using a slow cooker to make. I had a can of whole cranberry sauce in my pantry, so tonight's dinner only required the purchase of the meat and an onion.

Super Simple Cranberry Roast

2-3 pounds beef or pork roast or stew chunks (I used a 2.5 beef pot roast, trimmed of some excess fat)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
16 oz can whole berry cranberry sauce

In a 4-quart slow cooker, place the meat (frozen or thawed) and add the onion.*
*The original recipe called for raw, diced onion. I've found that I am not pleased with the onion taste or texture when a slow cooker recipe calls for raw onions. So, for this recipe and most other recipes that call for raw onion, I browned the onion in a skillet before adding it to the slow cooker.  It is an extra step that adds about 10 minutes to the preparation time.

Add the soy sauce and pour the cranberry sauce over the top.  Do not add water.  Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 5-6 hours.  If you cook it on high, take the meat out an hour before serving and cut it in to chunks, or slightly shred it with two forks, and then return it to the sauce for the last hour.

I served this with green beans and steam-n-mash potatoes doctored up with some prepared horseradish, salt, pepper, and a few cubes of cream cheese.  The potatoes provided a great base for the gravy from the slow cooker. 

Our verdict:

Clean plate club, for both of us. After going back for seconds. This one will be going in our regular rotation.  Try it and let me know what you think.