Slow-cooker Vietnamese Style Beef Pot Roast with Asian Slaw

This slow-cooker pot roast is definitely not of the "ho-hum" variety. Serve roast with the Asian Slaw and some jasmine rice or Asian noodles. For a next day meal, make a Vietnamese-style sandwich by layering some leftover beef and Asian Slaw atop a sliced toasted baguette. TO MAKE WITHOUT A SLOW COOKER: Cook the pot roast with the sauce in the Dutch oven pot, covered with tight fitting lid in a 325°F (160°C) oven for about 3 hours or until meat is fork tender.

 

Yields6 Servings
Prep Time10 minsCook Time6 hrsTotal Time6 hrs 10 mins
 ¼ cup (50 mL) all-purpose flour
 Coarsely ground sea salt or kosher salt and pepper
 2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil
 4 lb (1.81 kg) Beef Pot Roast (e.g. Cross Rib, Blade or Brisket)
 2 tbsp (30 mL) minced fresh ginger-root
 2 tbsp (30 mL) rice vinegar
 5 cloves garlic, minced
 2 tsp (10 mL) red chili pepper flakes
 ⅓ cup (75 mL) soya sauce
 ⅓ cup (75 mL) Kecap Manis (or teriyaki sauce)
 Asian Slaw (recipe follows)
1

Pat pot roast dry. Coat beef on all sides with flour. Season beef generously all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add roast, brown well on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove roast from pan. Transfer beef and any juices to slow cooker insert.

2

Add ginger-root, rice vinegar, garlic, chili flakes, soy sauce, Kecap Manis and 1 cup (250 mL) water to Dutch oven. Cook, stirring to remove any brown bits from bottom of pan. Pour over beef in slow-cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours until roast is fork-tender. Remove roast to cutting board, tent with foil.

3

Transfer sauce to saucepan and cook over high heat to thicken by reducing by half, about 4 minutes. You should have about 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) of sauce. Carve roast across the grain and serve with sauce as a dip and along with the Asian Slaw (recipe follows).

Asian Slaw
4

In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp EACH sesame oil, liquid honey and Sriracha sauce.
Add half a napa cabbage, thinly sliced (about 6 cups), 1 pkg (10 oz/284 g) match-stick cut carrots (or 3 carrots, shredded), 4 green onions, thinly sliced and 6 radishes, halved and thinly sliced.
Toss vegetables together with dressing.
Season with 1/2 tsp EACH salt and freshly ground pepper; toss with 1/4 cup EACH coarsely chopped salted roasted peanuts and minced cilantro and 1 tbsp poppy seeds.

To Make Without a Slow-Cooker
5

Cook the pot roast with the sauce in the Dutch oven pot, covered with tight fitting lid in a 325°F (160°C) oven for about 3 hours or until meat is fork tender.

Next Day Meal - Vietnamese Style Beef Sandwiches
6

Warm leftover Vietnamese pot roast beef and sauce briefly in microwave. Layer onto split toasted baguette and top with leftover Asian Slaw.

Tip
7

Look to Kecap Manis (an Asian ketchup) in the ethnic section of your local grocery store. If you can't find it, substitute teriyaki sauce.

Ingredients

 ¼ cup (50 mL) all-purpose flour
 Coarsely ground sea salt or kosher salt and pepper
 2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil
 4 lb (1.81 kg) Beef Pot Roast (e.g. Cross Rib, Blade or Brisket)
 2 tbsp (30 mL) minced fresh ginger-root
 2 tbsp (30 mL) rice vinegar
 5 cloves garlic, minced
 2 tsp (10 mL) red chili pepper flakes
 ⅓ cup (75 mL) soya sauce
 ⅓ cup (75 mL) Kecap Manis (or teriyaki sauce)
 Asian Slaw (recipe follows)

Directions

1

Pat pot roast dry. Coat beef on all sides with flour. Season beef generously all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add roast, brown well on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove roast from pan. Transfer beef and any juices to slow cooker insert.

2

Add ginger-root, rice vinegar, garlic, chili flakes, soy sauce, Kecap Manis and 1 cup (250 mL) water to Dutch oven. Cook, stirring to remove any brown bits from bottom of pan. Pour over beef in slow-cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours until roast is fork-tender. Remove roast to cutting board, tent with foil.

3

Transfer sauce to saucepan and cook over high heat to thicken by reducing by half, about 4 minutes. You should have about 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) of sauce. Carve roast across the grain and serve with sauce as a dip and along with the Asian Slaw (recipe follows).

Asian Slaw
4

In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp EACH sesame oil, liquid honey and Sriracha sauce.
Add half a napa cabbage, thinly sliced (about 6 cups), 1 pkg (10 oz/284 g) match-stick cut carrots (or 3 carrots, shredded), 4 green onions, thinly sliced and 6 radishes, halved and thinly sliced.
Toss vegetables together with dressing.
Season with 1/2 tsp EACH salt and freshly ground pepper; toss with 1/4 cup EACH coarsely chopped salted roasted peanuts and minced cilantro and 1 tbsp poppy seeds.

To Make Without a Slow-Cooker
5

Cook the pot roast with the sauce in the Dutch oven pot, covered with tight fitting lid in a 325°F (160°C) oven for about 3 hours or until meat is fork tender.

Next Day Meal - Vietnamese Style Beef Sandwiches
6

Warm leftover Vietnamese pot roast beef and sauce briefly in microwave. Layer onto split toasted baguette and top with leftover Asian Slaw.

Tip
7

Look to Kecap Manis (an Asian ketchup) in the ethnic section of your local grocery store. If you can't find it, substitute teriyaki sauce.

Slow-cooker Vietnamese Style Beef Pot Roast with Asian Slaw