Spring Thyme Beef Roast Slow Cooker. Beef eye round Tuck thyme and 3 ingredients are added into the slow cooker to make a spring feast that gets consumed sooner than the deviled eggs.
It is a slow cooker spring thyme beef roast, the type of simple and hearty supper that I had to depend on when the kids were running in and out of the house and the fields beckoned. It combines only five ingredients, among which are a good eye of round and large handfuls of fresh thyme inserted directly under the roast to ensure that the flavor of the same comes out as it cooks. It is as old as my first slow cooker: just put everything in the pot after breakfast, switch it on and by the end of the afternoon you are making the tender slices of beef and a light, herbal gravy that feels right on first warm days of the year: festive enough to eat in the year during the time of Easter but easy enough to eat in the year during any Sunday when you would be much better on the porch than on the stove.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- trimmed round roast beef eye → 1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound)
- fresh sprigs of thyme (enough to form 2 to 3 little bundles) → 8-10
- kosher salt → 1 1/2 teaspoons
- fresh ground black pepper → 1 teaspoon
- low sodium beef broth or low sodium dry white wine (or both) → 1 cup
Spring Thyme Beef Roast Slow Cooker
Spring Thyme Beef Roast: Directions
- Blot dry the beef eye of round roast with paper towels. Sprinkle it evenly with the kosher salt and the black pepper pressing the seasoning into the surface in a gentle manner so that it can adhere.
- Pat and run under water the fresh thyme. Take the sprigs and put them together in 2 or 3 little sheafs, and lay the stems together. To tidy up you can tie each bundle loosely with kitchen twine, but you do not need to.
- Put the thyme bundles into the bottom center of the slow cooker, positioning them in a small bed, so that they will be under the roast. This tucking technique allows the meat to be perfumed by the thyme as it cooks.
- Place the experienced beef eye of round roast at the top of the thyme bundles on the slow cooker and fat face up when the roast has a fat cap. Ensure that the thyme is mostly buried under the roast only the tips of the thyme sticking out at the sides.
- Pour the beef broth or white wine (or a mixture of both) around sides of the roast taking caution not to wipe off seasoning on top. You would like the liquid to collect in the bottom of the slow cooker, and not on the meat.
- Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW 7 or 8 hours or HIGH 4 or 5 hours until the roast is tender enough to slice andMake sure the middle is at least 145°F so it is cooked to medium.
- Upon completion of the roast, remove it very carefully out of the slow cooker and put it on a cutting board. Cover it with foil loosely and allow to settle after 10 to 15 minutes to allow the juices to settle.
- As the roast is continuing to roast, take out and dispose of the thyme bundles in the cooking liquid. Should you wish a little more jus, pour the liquid into a small saucepan and boil it on the stove 5 or 10 minutes to reduce it a little, removing any extra fat.
- Thinly slice the rested beef eye of round across the grain and it will be the tenderest. Lay the slices on a hot platter and pour a little of the cooking juices flavoured with thyme over the slices. Pour the rest of the juices in a little pitcher or gravy boat on the table.
Variations & Tips
To add a little more richness, you can rub the roast with 1 tablespoon of olive oil before seasoning it, but it is unnecessary to tender it. To have the more herby flavor, add a few more sprigs of thyme on the sides of the roast to the ones on the bottom. In order to make it kid friendly or non-alcoholic, use all beef broths instead of wine, half a cup beef broth with the other half a cup of dry white wine would be a much springier taste. To make it a one-pot meal, you can also include 1 pound of baby potatoes and some pieces of thick-cut carrot around the roast and cook them beforehand, but in a single layer, so that they cook evenly. You may prefer a more classic roast-beef feel (somewhat firmer with a pink center) so have a look at the roast about 5 to 6 hours on LOW and take it out when it is your desired temperature. Roast meat is fine as a sandwich, just keep it chilled, cut it thinly and put it on warm rolls with a slice of horseradish or mustard.