Low-Carb Slow Cooker Mushroom Lover’s Pot Roast

Ingredients

• 2 mushroom stock cubes or 2 T mushroom stock base + 1/2 cup water
• 3 1/2 lb. chuck roast, fat trimmed
• 2 T steak rub for rubbing the meat before browning
• 1 tsp. onion powder for rubbing the meat before browning
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt for rubbing the meat before browning
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper for rubbing the meat before browning
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 1/2 lbs. Cremini mushrooms

Directions

1. Add the mushroom cubes or stock base to a glass measuring cup along with 1/2 cup of water. Microwave it until the base melts into the water, about a minute, then stir it together.
2. Trim the roast, taking off most of the fat and cutting the meat into pieces if that makes it easier to reach the fat. If beef fat is your thing, you can be a little less aggressive, but a well-trimmed roast works nicely here.
3. Combine the steak rub, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Coat every side of the meat generously with that seasoning mixture.
4. Warm the oil in a non-stick or cast-iron frying pan, then sear the meat thoroughly on every side. Plan on 5-7 minutes for this, and do not hurry it along. Once the roast has good color, transfer it to the slow cooker.
5. Add the mushroom stock mixture to the frying pan and cook it on high for 1-2 minutes, using a turner to loosen the browned bits stuck to the pan. Pour that liquid over the meat in the slow cooker.
6. Cook on HIGH for 3 hours.
7. Wash the mushrooms and slice them thickly. Arrange them over the meat in the slow cooker, then continue cooking for 45-60 minutes, until the mushrooms are done and the meat is tender when pierced with a fork.
8. Use a slotted spoon to lift out the meat and mushrooms. Place the mushrooms in a bowl and move the meat to a cutting board.
9. Strain the juices, then taste them and decide whether you want to simmer them down for a stronger flavor. If you are reducing the au jus or turning it into gravy, the slow cooker can hold the meat and mushrooms warm.
10. Slice the meat, place it on a platter, and serve it with the mushrooms and mushroom au jus.
11. If low-carb is not a concern, you can use cornstarch to thicken the au jus into gravy.