Chuck Tender Beef Roast Slow-Cooked with a Leek-Pear Cider Gravy

by cookingwithauntjuju.com

First thing that comes to mind is what is a “chuck tender roast”? That’s the question that first got me interested in this recipe. I knew what a chuck roast is but chuck tender? It is also known as mock tender roast, medallion pot roast, scotch tender, chuck filet and chuck-eye. It is the muscle that runs along the upper dorsal side of the ridge of the Blade bone (shoulder) of a steer or heifer. It is a lean roast that requires slow-cooking to tenderize. See pictures below…

This is the final result – tender, fall-apart meat with a delicious leek-pear cider gravy.

Check out my recipe below for this sandwich with Raclette cheese and caramelized onions – leftovers are a good thing!

I chose to cook this chuck tender roast in a slow cooker instead of braising it. They are both good choices when you need to tenderize this cut of meat.

This recipe is adapted from Chef Ronit https://ronitpenso.wordpress.com/2020/12/20/braised-pot-roast-with-pear-cider-and-leek-gravy/   I have highlighted (bold) where I made changes. I also switched the cooking method from braising to a slow cooker. Be sure to go to Ronit’s site and see her braising method as the directions are totally different.

Chuck Tender Beef Roast Slow-Cooked with a Leek-Pear Cider Gravy

  • 2 lb. chuck tender beef roast

Marinade:

  • 12 oz. can hard pear cider made with pears, apples and elderflowers made in Michigan– 10 grams of sugar
  • 1 shallot, diced
  • 2 tsp. Kosher salt
  • 2 tsp. sugar (I almost didn’t add this because of the sugar in the cider)
  • 3-4 bay leaves, dried
  • 1 tsp. tarragon leaves, dried
  • 1 tsp. sage leaves, dried
  • 1 tsp. mustard seeds

Remove the silver skin from the meat and place the roast in a large plastic bag. Combine the rest of the ingredients and pour over the meat. Seal the bag and refrigerate overnight, turning a few times.

Ingredients for the stew:

  • 1-2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly ground four pepper mix
  • 3 carrots (not peeled, but washed, as they will not be used in the gravy) cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 cups leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned of any dirt and roughly chopped
  • 1 large red pear (I used Red D’Anjou) peeled, cored, roughly chopped

Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Pour the marinade into the slow cookers and heat up for about 30 minutes while preparing the veggies and pear and browned the meat.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat – a copper pan was perfect for this. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Add the meat and sear for 3 minutes on each side until nicely browned. Add to the marinade (I also included some of the brown bits from searing the meat).

Place the leek, carrot and pear pieces around the meat.  Cook on low for 7-1/2 hours. The smell in my kitchen was heavenly. My meat fell apart which is how I like it – Ronit could slice hers. After 4 hours I turned the meat and gave the rest of the ingredients a quick stir.

Discard the fat layer (oops – I forgot), carrots (I thought they were delicious and served with the roast) and bay leaves. Place the roast on a plate, cover with foil and let rest until the gravy and pears are done.

Gravy:

  • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp. flour
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 2 cups strained leek-pear sauce

Place the leek-pear mixture into a bowl and puree with a hand blender. Pass through a fine strainer and discard the pulp. I kept pressing on it to get 2 cups!

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and mix well for a few minutes. While stirring, add the leek-pear sauce and the Dijon mustard. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Pan Roasted Pears:

  • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1/2 tsp. sugar (to taste)
  • dash of salt
  • 1 red pear (I used Red D’Anjou), cored and cut into 6-8 segments

Melt the butter in a small skillet and add the pear pieces. Sprinkle with sugar and dash of salt and fry until golden at the edges.

To Serve:

Place the sliced meat on a platter. Add the pears and gravy on the side. I liked the carrots and added them too! I also roasted some small potatoes – I mean you can’t have gravy without some potatoes, right?

Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com 

I ordered this cut of beef from  Omaha Steaks – a great alternative when I can’t find what I want at the grocery store.

The roast marinated overnight in the refrigerator…

Browning the beef in my copper pan…

 

With the leftovers I made sandwiches with caramelized onions, raclette cheese and horseradish sauce served on onion buns.

Roast Beef Sandwiches

  • leftover shredded roast beef
  • cheese of your choice (I used Raclette)
  • caramelized onions (see recipe below)
  • prepared horseradish sauce
  • onion buns (toasted)

In a non-stick skillet heat the beef. Add the cheese of your choice on top of the beef and melt. You can cover the skillet to melt the cheese. Add some caramelized onions.

Spread a little prepared horseradish sauce over the bottom of the onion bun. Place the beef/cheese/onion mixture on the bottom bun, top with the other half of the bun and enjoy.

Caramelized onions: 

Recipe by realfoodbydad.com adapted from Cooks Illustrated

I cut the recipe in half and have included the amounts…

  • 3 lbs. onions, halved and sliced thin (1-1/2 lbs.)
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. water (6 tbsp. +1/2 tbsp.)
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil (1 tbsp.)
  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt (3/8 tsp.)
  • 1/8 tsp. baking soda (1/16 tsp.)

In a heavy bottom pan (I used my All-Clad), bring the sliced onions, (3/4 cup or 6 tbsp. water). olive oil and salt to a boil over medium-high heat, covered. Cook until the water evaporates about 10 minutes.

Remove cover, continue cooking on medium-high. Spread the onions out as much as possible to have 1 layer. Cook and stir every 3 minutes for about 15-20 minutes (it took 20 minutes with half recipe). They will become well-browned and slightly sticky – be sure to scrape up the brown bits as you stir.

Combine the baking soda and remaining water (1 tbsp. or 1/2 tbsp.) and stir into the onions while stirring constantly for about 1 minute. You can refrigerate these onions for 3 days or 1 month in the freezer.

Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com 

 

24 thoughts on “Chuck Tender Beef Roast Slow-Cooked with a Leek-Pear Cider Gravy”

  1. Oh, that gravy sounds heavenly! I adore fall apart beef in cold weather. You mentioned considering skipping the sugar. I’d love to hear if you thought it was skippable after. I love cutting sugar when I can get away with it.

    Reply

    • Thanks Jennifer – the whole meal was delicious! I looked at other pear ciders and the sugar content ranges from 8 grams to 34 grams. Grizzly Pear, the one I used had 10 grams of sugar per 12 oz. – it was also low in carbs. So, I would always use a cider with a low sugar content and then add the extra sugar if needed. Kind of depends on your taste – I would probably not add the sugar next time (or certainly cut the amount back) as I am not sure how much of a difference it made.

      Reply

  2. Thanks for the link to my post! So glad to see you’ve enjoyed the recipe. Your version looks amazing, not to mention the mouth watering sandwich. Definitely on my to make soon list.
    The cider with elderflowers also sounds like something worth looking for.

    Reply

  3. Pingback: Braised Pot Roast with Pear Cider and Leek Gravy – Tasty Eats

  6. Oh my gosh, this roast looks and sounds absolutely delicious! I love the idea of pears and hard cider with roast beef. I am a novice cook and have never used leeks, but this recipe has gotten me interested. Cider, pears, carrots, leeks and roast beef with a touch of Dijon – what a wonderful flavor combination!

    Reply

    • Thanks – it was a great combination and different for me. I have extra cans of pear cider so I can make this again. I loved all of it and added roasted potatoes too – the carrots were very tender and flavorful. Best sandwich ever with leftovers 🙂

      Reply

  8. I’ve not tried this cut, as it’s not available here, but we do have a similar lean cut that I’ll try. Looks like the perfect Sunday dinner…

    Reply

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