Beef Ragout

My own recipe. This is one of my favorites on a cold day.

1 chuck roast
1 potato, diced in 1-inch cubes
1 sweet potato diced in 1-inch cubes
1 parsnip, diced in 1-inch cubes
1 rutabaga, diced in 1 1-inch cubes
1 carrot, diced in 1-inch cubes
½ bag frozen corn
1 onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
3 cups beef stock
1 cup red wine (if you don’t want to use this, substitute another cup of beef stock)
1 small can of crushed tomatoes
½ can tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon allspice
1 heaping tablespoon seedless blackberry jam (any purple jam or jelly will do).

Salt and pepper the roast.
Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Place the roast in the skillet and brown on all sides. Remove the roast from the skillet and place fat side up in the crock pot.
Add everything to the crock pot except the potatoes, carrots and corn. Cook for 3 hours on low.

Add the vegetables to the crock-pot and cook 1 ½ to 2 hours more, until the roast falls apart when forked.

Remove the roast from the crock-pot and shred with a fork. Return the meat to the liquid and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.

Serve the ragout over Orzo pasta, egg noodles or rice.