#147: Beef and Spice

When I found this recipe I was excited to see that the original recipe came from someone in Bloomington, Il!  Of course I had to try it then!! 

We were a little leery of trying this recipe only because it called for mixed pickling spice, and I normally try to use spices I have on hand.  So I went to the grocery store figuring I wouldn't be able to find this one since I've never heard of it.  Well I did find it...for $5 a container.  I really didn't want to spend that much on a recipe I might only use once.  Then in the produce section (w/the bulk spices) I actually found a bag of mixed pickling spice for $2.99!!  Now that's a spice I can afford!  So I threw all of this together (spices and all) and froze it until we were ready to eat it.  I let it defrost a little in the fridge overnight and then stuck it in the crockpot when I left for work.  This was yummy!  I will definitely use this new spice when I make this again.

Ingredients:

3 to 4 lb beef pot roast
1-lb can tomatoes (I used 14 oz petite diced tomatoes)
1 Tbsp wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 clove garlic, minced (I used 3tbsp)
6 whole cloves  (I omitted)
1/2 tsp mixed pickling spice (I used 1 tsp)
1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf

Directions:
1. Trim fat from meat. Cut to fit slow cooker.
2. Put all ingredients into slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook 8 to 10 hours.
Can be doubled or adjusted to a larger roast if your crockpot is big enough.