Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef

I’m always on the lookout for new slow cooker recipes, particularly ones that have virtually no prep time. This recipe met both of those criteria and sounded delicious so I was really excited to try it. You don’t even have to brown the meat first – the outside gets browned right in the slow cooker! I’m pretty sure that’s magic. The beef is moist and tender from slow cooking and when you stick a fork in to break it into pieces you’ll see that it falls apart with barely a touch. The balsamic vinegar gives it a nice tangy flavor that’s not overpowering and you can add jus to your liking. Since the prep for this recipe consists only of mixing the ingredients together and putting them all in the slow cooker, this is a great weekday meal.

This is the recipe I almost didn’t get to try today! This morning when I went to turn my slow cooker on I noticed that the lid had warped since the last time I used it (though I have absolutely no idea how) and no longer fit on the pot without a huge air gap. My first idea was to wrap the lid and top half of the pot in aluminum foil to attempt to keep the heat in and forge ahead, but when I vented to my boyfriend about it he surprised me with an early Christmas present he’d already bought me – a new slow cooker! Thanks for anticipating my needs, babe – you’re the best.

Slow Cooked Barbecue Beef
Source: Add a Pinch

Ingredients:
3 lb round raw, boneless round roast of beef, lean and trimmed of visible fat (I cut mine into thirds just to fit it in my slow cooker better)
1 cup beef broth
½ cup Balsamic vinegar
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T reduced sodium soy sauce
1 T honey
½ t crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:
1.    Place the beef in the slow cooker (cut into pieces if necessary). In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients and pour over the top of the beef.
2.    Turn crock pot temperature to low and cover. Cook for 7-8 hours.
3.    Remove meat to a platter and break it apart using a fork (the meat should fall apart easily). Each serving of beef should be about 2/3 cup if you measure volume or about 3.5 ounces if you measure weight (meat only). Spoon jus over the top of the beef and serve.

Yields 8 (2/3 cup or 3.5 oz beef) servings. Weight Watchers Points Plus: 6 per serving (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Nutrition Information per serving from myfitnesspal.com: 227 calories, 4 g carbs, 7 g fat, 36 g protein, 0 g fiber