A cross rib roast is a square cut of meat that is a bit thicker at one end, has two or three rib bones and has alternating layers of lean meat and fat. It comes from the chuck primal cut, which is the area of the cow between the neck and the shoulder. I purchased my organic, grass fed cross rib roast from Aurora View Farms in Prince George, B.C.

Ingredients

5lb cross rib roast
1 very large onion
6 cloves garlic
2 cups bone broth or beef bouillon
1/2 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup real, pure maple syrup
2 tbsp grained dijon mustard (I used one with horseradish in it)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary finely chopped
Montreal steak spice

1 small butternut squash cubed
3 parsnips cubed
12-15 cremini mushrooms, quartered
12-20 brussel sprouts halved (I skipped this because I sadly could not find any in good condition)

Method

1. Wash the roast in cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the roast generously in montreal steak spice
2. In a heavy skillet on medium high, sear the roast in butter, bacon fat or avocado oil (you’ll probably want the range fan on, it can get smokey!) You’ll want to make sure there’s a lovely crust all over the surface of the roast.
3. Transfer the roast to the crockpot.
4. In the same pan, lower the heat and saute the onions for a couple of minutes and then add 4 cloves of the garlic. If the pan gets too hot, add a dash of white cooking wine (or murin in a pinch)
5. While you’re waiting for the roast to sear and the onions and garlic to soften, mix the broth, balsamic, 2 finely minced cloves of garlic and the finely minced rosemary, the dijon and maple syrup.
6. Place the roast in the bottom of your crockpot and layer the veggies all around it.
7. Pour the broth and balsamic mixture over top of the whole lot.
8. Cook on low for 5 hours.