Slow Cooker Roast Beef with Gravy

Slow Cooker Roast Beef on a board with some horseradish sauce.

4.95 from 18 votes

Tender, sliceable slow cooker roast beef with rich gravy. An easy beef joint for Sunday dinner, Christmas or feeding a crowd.

Prep Time15

Cook Time7

Resting time20

Total Time7 35

Diet: High Protein, Low Carb

Allergen: Gluten

Servings: servings

Calories: 240kcal

Author: Dannii Martin

Equipment

Slow cooker or Crock Pot

Ingredients

1.5 kg of Beef joint
½ teaspoon of Fine sea salt
1 teaspoon of Ground black pepper
4 tablespoons of Plain flour
1 teaspoon of Olive oil
2 Shallots diced
2 Garlic cloves crushed
10 g of Fresh thyme
500 ml of Beef stock
1 tablespoon of Cornflour (corn starch)
2 tablespoons of Cold water

UK Metric Measures - US Customary Measures

Instructions

Prepare the beef. Take 1.5 kg of Beef joint out of its packaging and pat it thoroughly dry with kitchen paper.

Drying the beef is important. A wet joint will steam in the pan rather than developing that deep brown colour that gives the finished dish so much flavour.

Coat the beef: Season all over with ½ teaspoon of Fine sea salt and 1 teaspoon of Ground black pepper, then coat it lightly in 4 tablespoons of Plain flour, shaking off any excess.
Brown the beef. Heat 1 teaspoon of Olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat.
Add the beef and sear it on all sides until deeply browned. Take your time with this - it takes around 8-10 minutes to get plenty of colour all over a large joint.

You aren't trying to cook the beef at this stage. The browning is simply adding another layer of flavour.

Prepare the slow cooker. Put 2 Shallots (diced), 2 Garlic cloves (crushed) and 10 g of Fresh thyme into the slow cooker and pour in 500 ml of Beef stock.

If there are lots of browned bits left in your frying pan, pour in a small splash of stock and scrape them from the bottom of the pan, then add that liquid to the slow cooker too. There is so much flavour there that you don't want to waste it.

Add the beef. Sit the browned beef joint in the slow cooker.
The stock does not need to cover the beef. The joint will release more liquid as it cooks and the closed slow cooker prevents much moisture from escaping.

If your beef is tied with butcher's string to hold its shape, leave the string in place while it cooks.

Put the lid on the slow cooker.
Slow cook. Cook for approximately:
7 hours on LOW, or 4 hours on HIGH.

We prefer the low setting when we have time, as the longer, gentler cook gives beautifully tender beef.

Slow cookers vary, as do the thickness and shape of beef joints, so use these timings as a guide rather than treating them as an exact per-kilogram formula.

Try not to keep removing the lid to check the beef, as every time you open the slow cooker you release heat.

Rest the beef. Carefully lift the beef onto a board or warm plate and cover it loosely with foil.
Leave it to rest for 20-30 minutes while you make the gravy.

This is worth waiting for. Resting makes the beef easier to carve and helps keep the slices juicy.

Make the gravy: Strain the cooking liquid from the slow cooker into a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer. Mix 1 tablespoon of Cornflour (corn starch) with up to 2 tablespoons of Cold water until smooth, then gradually whisk it into the cooking liquid. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until thickened to your liking.
Taste and season if needed.
Carve the beef: Remove any butcher's string just before carving and slice the beef across the grain.

Notes

Pat the beef completely dry before flouring and searing it - this is the key to getting plenty of colour.
Don't rush the searing stage. Those dark browned bits add a huge amount of flavour to the finished gravy.
Leave butcher's string around the joint while it cooks so it holds its shape, then remove it before carving.
Try not to lift the slow-cooker lid during cooking, as this lets heat escape.
The LOW setting is our preferred option when time allows.
Let the beef rest before slicing. It makes a noticeable difference to both texture and juiciness.
Always carve across the grain for the most tender slices.
Taste the gravy after it has reduced before adding more seasoning, particularly if your beef stock is already salty.
If you want to add extra flavour to the cooking liquid, a carrot or stick of celery can be added, but we prefer cooking the roast-dinner vegetables separately so they keep their own texture.
Fresh rosemary can be used instead of thyme if you prefer it with beef.

Nutrition

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