How to make a tender pot roast?

[Kallison]

crock pot
can of cola
packet of Lipton Soup beefy onion mix
low to high for 6 to 8 hours

tender every time. Makes a nice au jus gravy

 

[disneyatl]

I think a must is searing the outside of the roast.....and I mean really getting the outside brown. That holds in all the juices in. I've cooked it several different ways too but I've found the best way is to cook it on the stove for a few hours at a very low heat.

 

[doxdogy]

For years I couldn't cook a pot roast to save my life. Now I cook them low and slow. I use a chuck roast and sometimes I will tenderize it the night before. I brown the meat in a cast iron skillet with some olive oil, remove the roast from the skillet. I then add some red wine and some liquid. Add the roast back to the skillet, add some minced garlic and a couple cans of tomato sauce. Place lid on the roast and I generally let it cook anywhere from 5 - 7 hours. I periodically check to see if I need to add more liquid to the roast.

 

[grinningghost]

Originally posted by Serena


When I fix pot roast, I put it in the crock pot and keep it covered with water. I cook it all day on low and it's really tender. Fall apart as you try to get it out, tender.

Same here It never comes out right in the oven, but the crockpot makes a really mean pot roast (and the crockpot really does do all the work, I just throw the stuff in).

 

[DisMN]

Several have mentioned the can of Coke idea. I'm gonna have to try that! Doesn't it make it too sweet though?

 

[binny]

the coke is a great way to make it not to sweet, also Dr Pepper works well too. Just dont use diet it doesnt work well.

Also you really should sear it! It makes all the difference!

 

[vhoffman]

Actually I've tried browning the meat first before roasting it in the oven in a cooking bag. Doesn't seem to help. I made a pot roast a few days ago in the crock pot and it came out great--fork tender. I did not brown the meat first. Just put the vegetables in first, then the meat, along with about 2 cups water, one can beef broth, one can tomato soup, and seasonings. It came out perfect! I wonder if the browning actually lost some of the juices when I stuck it with a fork to turn it several times. Perhaps that let the juices out? Also, like I said in one of my earlier posts, it could be the meat, or the way its packaged. I've been told that meat packed on a styrofoam board and shrink wrapped in palstic actually draws moisture out of the meat. The roast I made that came out so good I bought at Target. It was in a vacumn sealed bag with liquid and seasonings, no stryofoam board. Perhaps that's what made it come out so good? Well, whatever...I'm trying the same pot roast today. Have you ever had a recipie come out great once, then you try to do it again and its a flop? You do it the same way, but something goes wrong. Well, lets see if it works this time. I think the "secret" is long, slow cooking. At least 10 hours in the crock pot, preferably 12 hours. I' m intrigued by the coke idea--got to give that one a try!

 

[disneyworld!]

ok I will add to this:
my ex had the stupidist thing he would do, but (when I ate meat)
this was the BEST pot roast I ever had!

1 roast
1 bag of frozen cut up onions(you know the ones, they are cut up tiny)
and one botttle of ketchup
till fell apart



sounds stupid huh??

 

[LindaG4458]

I vote for the pressure cooker. Cook the roast for 1.5 hours, then add vegetables and cook for another .75 hours. Delicious!!

 

[vhoffman]

My mother always used a pressure cooker and made the greatest roasts. However, I'm scared to death of the thing! All that steam, and that little ball bouncing around, makes me nervous. I'll stick with my crock pot!

 

[SeaSpray]

A friend told me about this method a couple of years ago and since then my pot roasts have been fall-apart tender.

The Night Before:

Put a FROZEN pot roast into the crockpot. Add 1 cup of water, and seasoning. I live in MA where there are Shaw's food stores, and I LOVE the flavor of the Shaw's brand pot roast seasoning packet.

Turn crock pot on HIGH for a couple of hours that night before. At bedtime, stir, turn the pot roast over, and put crockpot to LOW.
Then go to bed.

In the morning, stir and turn the pot roast over again. Add veggies if you want. Turn back to HIGH.

Mid afternoon: Stir and turn pot roast over, turn temp back down to LOW until dinner time.

It's very simple! I think the fact that the pot roast is frozen has a lot to do with how tender it turns out. I've used this method on all different cuts of pot roast.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I throw a chuck roast into the slow cooker. Add a pouch of Lipton's Onion Soup or Beefy Onion Soup, plus one pouch full of water. I throw in some baby carrots and a couple of cut up potatoes. Turn it on slow and go to work.

When we get home from work about 10 hours later it is great. Falling apart.

 

[elemusing]

I didn't read through all of the posts so this may have been suggested, but have you ever heard of Pampered Chef home shows? OMG!! Use their big stoneware bowl and put your roast in it and cover it with water or I prefer using a liquid marinade. Then I cover the bowl with a stoneware lid and cook for about 4 hours on 300 degrees. My roast always falls apart.

I never use my crock pot anymore since I bought the PC stoneware.

Angie

 

[JVL1018]

I just made pot roast tonight.
Bottom round roast, seared on all sides, fill pot with water to almost covering the pot roast, add an envelope of onion soup. Cook on medium heat for 3 hours or more, covered., just make sure there's always some water in there.
I never make my pot roast in the oven.
Comes out tender every single time and it really couldn't be easier or more tasty.
It's DH, the kids, and my favorite meal.
My family likes pot roast with mashed potatoes and gravy instead of the cut up potatoes.
My MIL made the very best gravy-I know she put vinegar in it, strange as that may sound, but that's all I know. I have scoured the intenet looking for this recipe as she never wrote it down before she died.
Does anyone have a recipe for gravy like that??

 

[Dana49]

After seasoning the roast with spices and flour, I brown it on all sides. I then place it in a kettle on the stove, and add a can of Campbell's French Onion soup, 1/2 can of water, and a bottle of Guinness, then cover. I bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cook for the next 4-5 hours until tender. It comes out perfect each time.

 

[mtblujeans]

I think it is the cut of meat. I think the best cut for a tender pot roast is a chuck roast. I either cook it in a McCormick's Bag n' Season cooking bag or in a crock pot and they literally fall apart. Sometimes I use a big roast and flake it apart after it is finished cooking and add bar-b-que sauce and make sandwiches.

 

[mtblujeans]

Originally posted by JVL1018
My MIL made the very best gravy-I know she put vinegar in it....Does anyone have a recipe for gravy like that??

PAN GRAVY

1/2 cup coarsely chopped shallots
2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup red wine
1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
3 cups of beef or chicken stock
1 tsp of tomato paste

Pour the fat from your roasting pan, leaving about 2 tablespoons. Add the shallots and cook until they are brown on the edges. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes or until brown. Add the wine, vinegar, stock, and tomato paste. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce is thick and glossy. Does that sound close?

 

[poohtown]

i cook mine on the oven and they're always pretty darn good (imo)

basically i sear all sides in olive oil (I use a big spaghetti pot)
discard fat

i add approx. one cup water, couple bouillon cubes, and a large jar of whole tomatoes with the juice, parsley, bay leaves, oregano, garlic, basil, salt and pepper.

bring to boil, cover, simmer for an hour

add sliced carrots, quartered potatoes - cook for about 40 min.

add sliced cerely, quartered onions or baby onions - cook 20 min.

removed meat and veges - if you like the gravy thicker just add about 1/4 cup of flour to 1/4 cup of water, mix and stir in for a few minutes till it get thick

 

[JVL1018]

Originally posted by mtblujeans
PAN GRAVY

1/2 cup coarsely chopped shallots
2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup red wine
1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
3 cups of beef or chicken stock
1 tsp of tomato paste

Pour the fat from your roasting pan, leaving about 2 tablespoons. Add the shallots and cook until they are brown on the edges. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes or until brown. Add the wine, vinegar, stock, and tomato paste. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce is thick and glossy. Does that sound close?

It does! I'm going to try it-thank you so much!

 

[poohtown]

lol - i don't know how I forgot this --- but I always add a cup of red wine when I'm cooking the meat.