Slow Cooker - Roast

[Dods]

I am planning on fixing a roast this weekend in my slow cooker, with carrots, potatoes, and some onions. There will be left overs of roast, and vegetables. I was hoping to take the left over vegetables, and incorporate them into a gravy so that I could make some beef and noodles with the left over roast. I was figuring I would take some of the left over liquid from the slow cooker, and vegetables. Puree them, but am at a loss on what I should do next to turn this into a gravy. I would think I would need to add some flour at the very least, but am not sure.

Any suggestions on how to proceed would be appreciated.

 

[Hirsute]

I would start with a roux and cook until golden brown; then add some sherry, marsala, wine, port, etc.; your veggie and cooking liquid puree, and maybe a 1/4 cup of cream. Cook down and season when it's the consistency you want. If you like mushrooms, in a separate pan I'd saute some sliced mushrooms in butter then deglaze the pan with some sherry and add it all to the gravy when you add the other ingredients after the roux, then cook down.

 

[Dods]

Thanks for the info. I will start with the roux, and go from there.

 

[PugslyCat]

Not so tasty as the roux, cream & wine, but simple to do is to thicken the the drippings with a slurry of corn starch and water. That's what I normally do if I have pan drippings, but it isn't a high impact dish. Just add your slurry to the pan drippings and bring everything to a simmer, stirring constantly. You can substitue other liquids for the water.

 

[Jim]

Equal parts fat and flour are the key to start it, after that you could write a book on sauces.

 

[Dods]

Well, this will be kept extremely simple. I don't even have a full kitchen area. I don't have a normal stove top, or oven unit. I can only do so much in the convection toaster oven. I needed something I could cook bigger foods in. So went with a slow cooker.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Jim]

You need to bring the liquid to a boil to incorporate the roux and then thicken it up/reduce it.
Can you get an electric or induction burner to use a sauce pan on?

 

[zethreal]

You can use corn starch or flour. Corn starch is easier to get to firm up into a good gravy, but it will also fall apart on you after a while, where a flour based gravy will not. If you think you will be warming up the gravy the next day, you might want to go with a flour based one ( a roux or just a flour/water mixture added to the drippings until it starts to firm up ). I prefer the flavor of a roux, but a thick flour/water mix will thicken it up without the need of a pan for the roux.

 

[drocu]

Well, this will be kept extremely simple. I don't even have a full kitchen area. I don't have a normal stove top, or oven unit. I can only do so much in the convection toaster oven. I needed something I could cook bigger foods in. So went with a slow cooker.

Thanks for the info.

I would use corn starch then. Flour is better but would require boiling as someone suggested.

 

[Dods]

Well, I can get the induction burner to boiling. I haven't done so as of yet. I need to get a pan for that still, or I can get my single electric burner out. I have cooked pasta with it.

 

[Jim]

Well, I can get the induction burner to boiling. I haven't done so as of yet. I need to get a pan for that still, or I can get my single electric burner out. I have cooked pasta with it.

That will do the trick! Do you have a bender and a sieve? if so you can blend & sieve everything then add it to your roux.

 

[_JP_]

I like to sear the meat first. The searing makes a big difference in the taste.

 

[barrycv]

First, I'd skim off as much fat from you liquid as possible before doing anything.

Then, I'd puree the liquid & leftover veggies & test out the consistency. Those veggies buzzed up act as a thickener, so adding flour or corn starch first might be over-doing it. You can always add more thickening slurry if it is too loose for your tastes.

At the end of any kind of sauce like this gravy or a wine reduction pan sauce, I add a small pat of butter to the product. Gives a nice sheen to it all & just finishes it perfectly.