Shredded Beef Pot Roast with Orange and Thyme

Hints of thyme and orange zest flavour this long-simmered beef roast.  The meat is then shredded and served with pan juices over warm, creamy, garlic mashed potatoes.

As said above, I served shredded and beef over garlic mashed potatoes but this subtly flavoured beef could be served a multitude of ways - on a crusty bun with cheese and onion, over rice or even stuffed into tacos!  Don't let the long cooking time dissuade you, once the ingredients are in the pot there is nothing to do for hours until the meat is cooked.

I used inside round roast for this recipe but any beef roast (barring a very lean cut like tenderloin) would work for this recipe - if the cut you use has bones, remove while shredding meat.  Also, to save on cooking time you can cut your roast in large chunks before searing.

This recipe is easily adapted to the slow cooker as well, simply follow recipe instructions until all ingredients are placed back into the dutch oven at step 3, and cook on high for six hours, low for ten then resume recipe steps at step 5!

Shredded Beef Pot Roast with Orange and Thyme
Serves 6-8

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 4-5 hours

Printable Recipe

Ingredients
3-4 lb beef roast (whole or cut in large pieces to save on cooking time)
2 tbsp oil
2 medium onions, cut in large chunks
3 garlic cloves, slightly crushed
1/2 lb button mushrooms, quartered
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup red wine
3 sprigs thyme, whole
2 dried bay leaves
juice and zest from 1 large orange
4 cups beef broth
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper

Directions
1.  Remove any butchers twine from roast and season well on all sides with salt and pepper.  Heat oil over medium heat in a large heavy bottom pot or dutch oven.  Sear roast well until completely brown on all sides. Remove roast from pot and set aside.  

2.  Reduce heat in pot to medium low.  Add butter, once melted, add onions, garlic and mushrooms and a pinch each salt and pepper.  Stir to coat vegetables in butter.  Add red wine to deglaze pot and scrape bottom with spoon to loosen browned bits.  Add bay leaves, thyme and orange zest and juice.

3.  Move vegetables in pot to the sides, creating an opening in the centre of the pot to accommodate the meat.  Replace roast in the pot and add beef broth. 

 
4.  Reduce heat to a simmer.  Cover and cook 4-5 hours or until tender and meat shreds easily.
5.  When beef is cooked, remove from cooking liquid and set pot off the heat.  Shred meat using two forks or a knife to chop roughly.  Return to pot with cooking liquid and place back over heat and bring back to a simmer.
6.  Combine water and flour - mix well.  Stir flour-water mixture into pan juices to thicken to desired consistency.  Serve!