Sunday Slow Cooker Beef Ragù

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 carrot
• 3 lbs. boneless beef shoulder roast
• 1 Tbsp cooking oil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• Freshly cracked pepper
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 cans crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

Directions

1. Chop the onion into a dice and finely mince the garlic. Peel the carrot, then grate it on a cheese grater or box grater. Scatter the onion, garlic, and carrot across the base of a 5 quart or larger slow cooker.
2. With a sharp knife, trim away any big sections of fat from the beef. Slice the trimmed roast into large 2-3 inch pieces.
3. Warm the cooking oil in a large skillet set over a medium flame. Once the oil is very hot, add the beef and sear it for a few minutes on each side, until the pieces are nicely browned. Work in batches so the skillet does not get crowded.
4. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker. While the skillet is still warm, pour in the beef broth and whisk up the browned bits stuck to the pan. Add that broth to the slow cooker. Sprinkle the oregano, thyme, and rosemary over the beef, then add freshly cracked pepper, about 10-15 cranks from a pepper mill.
5. Add the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes to the slow cooker. Cover with the lid, set the heat to high, and cook for 6-8 hours on high, until the beef is extremely tender and pulls apart easily.
6. Using tongs, shred the beef directly into the sauce, pulling out any large pieces of fat or connective tissue that are still intact. Stir everything together well, taste, and season with salt as needed, about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon. Serve right away with pasta, or portion the sauce into smaller containers so it cools more quickly, then refrigerate. After it is completely cooled, freeze the sauce for longer storage.