Slow Cooker Double Onion Chuck Roast

I really enjoyed my adventures my slow-cooker in the past few weeks or so, making this Classic Pot Roast, then this Pepper Steak.  Both times, it cranked out a wonderful meal that I don’t have to fuzz with when I got home from work..(a huge BONUS!!) I really was not looking for a new recipe to try when I stumbled upon this recipe, originally was intended to be used with beef brisket. I noticed that they used chili sauce, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar! I really think that the sweet and spicy combination of the spices would be excellent with meats that are slow-cooked.

But then, I wasn’t able to find any beef brisket at my local grocery store. So here I was, making my first substitution. I thought that maybe a slab of chuck roast would do just fine! And I think it came out fabulously. My suspicion was indeed right: the sweet and spicy combination in the spices really added a nice kick to the ordinary slow-cooked meat. I made several changes to the original recipe-especially on the chili sauce, since we both love spicy food.

Inspiration from: Taste of Home Holiday-Halloween Edition

Ingredients
1 fresh beef chuck roast (~1 to 1.5 lb)
1-1/2 tsp of kosher salt
1-1/2 tsp coarsely ground pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large onion, sliced
3 celery ribs, chopped
1/4 cup Vietnamese chili sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 envelope onion soup mix

Directions
Take the chuck roast and season with salt and pepper to taste. Brown on all sides in a large skillet over high heat. In the same skillet, cook and stir onions on low-heat for 8-10 minutes or caramelized.

Place half of onions in a slow cooker; top with celery and roast. Combine the chili sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and the soup mix. Pour over the roast, top with remaining onions.

Cover and cook on low setting for 6 to 7 hours or until the meat is tender. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Yield: 3 servings