Coffee and Spice Chuck Roast

So if you’re like me, it’s Monday morning and you’re sitting at your desk trying to figure out your meal plan for the week.  Sure most people probably do this over the weekend and prep their meals on Sunday, but I’m not like most people…obviously!  Our weekend schedules are typically jam packed and the last thing I want to do is try and fight the crowds at the grocery store.  So if you like me and trying to figure it out now, my only suggestion would be to walk…better yet run to the meat counter and pick out a big, red, juicy chuck roast for dinner.  Trust me you and your entire family will thank me!

I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a big red meat eater, so besides the occasional hamburger; chicken, pork and fish are my go to proteins.  However when my friend emailed me the link for this Smokey Chuck Roast I immediately began salivating and knew what I would be having for dinner.  The best part about this roast, it cooks in your slow cooker on low for 10 hours while you’re away at work.  The only real work involved is the prep the night before and plugging the thing in the following morning.  Really, it’s that simple!  And when you get home the next day it will take every bit of will power you have to not shove that delicious, fall apart roast in your mouth the second you walk in the door.

My initial plan was to serve this with some baked sweet potatoes and a hearty green salad.  So I washed my potatoes and coated them well with olive oil and kosher salt and popped them in the toaster oven at 375º for about an hour.  I then did my daily workout which on this day last for an hour and a half, so needless to say when it came time to eat I was famished!  My sensible healthy meal immediately turned into a glutinous feast when I scraped the insides out of my potato, mixed in some cheddar cheese and popped it back in the oven to get nice and toasty.  The end result…twice baked cheddar cheese sweet potatoes piled high with Coffee and Spice Chuck Roast and drizzled with pan gravy.  And I inhaled it in about 5 minutes ;)

Leftovers are equally amazing served warm on top some baby spring mix with sweet cherry tomatoes or served with fresh homemade corn tortillas with avocado, queso fresco and cilantro.

Coffee and Spice Chuck Roast
Serves 4 to 6

One 2 to 2.5lb chuck roast

1 large red onion coarsely chopped
¾ cup water
1 tablespoon FOC (I used coconut oil)

For the rub:
½ teaspoon ground chipotle
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons fresh ground coffee beans
½ tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano
1 tablespoon cumin

Mix ingredients for spice rub together in a small bowl and combine well.  Rub the entire spice mixture all over the roast really massaging it into the meat.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, add the coconut oil and sear the roast on all sides until it has developed a nice crust.  About 2 minutes per side.

Chop up the red onion and place it in the bottom of your slow cooker, rest the seared chuck roast on top.  If you are prepping the night before, pop on the lid and transfer to the fridge until morning.  The following morning pop into your slow cooker, add ¾ cup of water and set to low and cook for 8 to 10 hours.

When finished cooking transfer the roast to a plate and allow to rest for 10 minutes.  When ready to serve, take two forks and slowly pull apart the roast to shred the meat.