Pot Roast Help

[Newfie2000]

I am embarrassed to admit this but every pot roast I have ever made turns out just awful, no matter what I do. I really am a pretty good cook otherwise . Anyway my DH would love a good pot roast once in a while. And now my DB who comes home for Christmas tells me how much he misses Mom's pot roast (he is single) and I really want to fulfill that wish. I am thinking that perhaps I should try a slow cooker? If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it. And please feel free to start from step one - what meat you buy, how to choose, etc. - because I need all the expert advice I can get! I am sooo tired of feeling like an idiot when everybody else tells me how easy pot roast is to make. And having the dog consume whole pot roasts because they are humanly inedible is breaking my budget. TIA!

 

[TaraPA]

For years I cooked them in the oven in a roast pan because that's what I'd seen my mother & grandmother do. Every roast I made was dry! Finally a friend let me in on her fail-proof way - the crock pot! I swear it works! I've never ever had a dry roast in the crock pot. I always use a boneless chuck roast, about 3-4 pounds. I put about 1/2 inch of water in the crock pot, put in the meat, potatoes (cut in half) and baby carrots. I put lots of spices on top, put the lid on, and cook on low for 8 hours. It falls apart when you take it out!

 

[maslex]

How's this for easy.....

I always buy a chuck roast and throw it in the freezer when I get home from shopping. Later in the week when I want a roast, I put it in the slow cooker FROZEN (solid as a rock). I rub some mustard on it and throw some spices on it (salt, pepper, garlic salt or sometimes a packet of onion soup mix) throw in a can of beef broth and put it on high for about 7-8 hrs. THAT'S IT!!! Easy peasy!!! In my house, people prefer mashed potatoes instead of throwing potatoes in the crock pot with the roast. But I will also throw in some onions and carrots when there is about 3-4 hrs left.

 

[crazelion]

Step One Buy Chuck Roast

Step Two rise chuck roast off

Step Three Rub Meat tenderized on the roast

Step Four put Roast in Pan

Step Five Fill the pan with water enough over the roast completely

Step Six Cook for 2 hours

or

Buy oven bag to cook the roast in. They sell them already season. Follow Directions on package.

 

[mommyaof2]

I usually use a sirloin tip roast 3-4lbs. I put it in the crock pot with 1 packet of beefy Lipton onion soup mix and 1 1/2 cup of water. I also add pepper on top of the roast. I don't add potatoes to mine either because we like mashed potatoes with roast. I cook on low all day. I usually start the crock pot at 8am and it is ready when I get home at 5:30pm. To make gravy, I take the easy route and use McCormick's brown gravy packets. In a small sauce pan, I take 2 of these and add one cup of the broth from the roast and then 1 cup of water. Follow the directions on the gravy packet and it makes perfect brown gravy! I have never, ever had a bad roast making it in the crock pot. Good luck to you!

 

[Tina]

I make mine on the stovetop in a 5 quart pot. I think its straight out of Betty Crocker, but I've been using it for years and years.

One 2 to 4 pound chuck roast/pot roast/chuck shoulder (the cut I buy tends to vary

Add one 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to pan and heat
Add roast and brown on all sides at high heat
Lower heat to medium
Add salt/pepper
Add 5-8oz of horseradish (I spread across meat)
Add 2 to 3 (horseradish) jars of water
Cover and bring to a boil
Lower heat to lowest setting and keep lid on the pot.
Turn every 30 minutes or so
I cook mine for about 5 hours for the best results, adding onions, carrots, and potatoes during the last hour

By the time its done, the meat is falling apart and yummy.

Edited to add: Don't be fooled by the horseradish in this recipe. The roast comes out tasting sweet and flavorful, not hot.

 

[tdsimcic]

i use mccormics (sp) crockpot pot roast seasoning i love it it is so easy

 

[kmvand1]

I have tried time and time again, and my roast always turns out tough!

 

[aladams2]

Juicy moist pot roast!!!

Put pot roast in slow cooker
pour Lipton onion soup mix over it
pour a can of coke on top
Cook for 6 hours and it literally breaks apart when you take it out.

This is the only way I ever make it. Very yummy!!

 

[MommaSue]

How's this for easy.....

I always buy a chuck roast and throw it in the freezer when I get home from shopping. Later in the week when I want a roast, I put it in the slow cooker FROZEN (solid as a rock). I rub some mustard on it and throw some spices on it (salt, pepper, garlic salt or sometimes a packet of onion soup mix) throw in a can of beef broth and put it on high for about 7-8 hrs. THAT'S IT!!! Easy peasy!!! In my house, people prefer mashed potatoes instead of throwing potatoes in the crock pot with the roast. But I will also throw in some onions and carrots when there is about 3-4 hrs left.

This is EXACTLY how I make my roast - frozen, onion soup mix and beef broth. It's the best roast you'll ever have, and it's never dry.

Good luck.

 

[turkeymama]

3 to 5 pound chuck roast
1 package of dry onion soup mix
1 can Cream of Chicken and Mushroom soup

Put it all in the Crock Pot on low in the morning. It is very tender by supper time and the gravy is perfect since you don't add any water.

We serve vegetables and mashed potatoes on the side.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

Juicy moist pot roast!!!

Put pot roast in slow cooker
pour Lipton onion soup mix over it
pour a can of coke on top
Cook for 6 hours and it literally breaks apart when you take it out.

This is the only way I ever make it. Very yummy!!

COKE? Now I have to try that, like, I want to go buy a roast tomorrow and try it, sounds interesting!

OP, I can only get it to turn out in a crock pot or an oven bag, I prefer the crock pot so I can leave it (I don't trust my oven when I am not home.)

 

[JoiseyMom]

Chuck roast, press kosher salt and pepper into beef, sear beef on both sides in HOT skillet with a little oil until brown on both sides.

Remove beef and place in either crock pot or roasting pan. At bottom of either pot or pan, place potatoes, carrots, celery and sliced onions.

In skillet add some water and 1 or 2 beef boullion cubes (check sodium on brand you buy) and I usually add a packet of lipton onion soup mix. I heat water until boiling and get the bits of meat from the bottom of the pan (as per Alton Brown). I add liquid (not a lot of liquid by the way), to crock pot or to roasting pan.

Turn on crock pot. If roasting pan cover with lid or aluminum foil, cook in oven at 100 or 125 degrees for 5 ish hours, or until meat falls apart. Either way works really really well!! I have never had the meat tough!! It always falls apart!!

Set it and forget it!!

 

[mcvixen]

I had exactly the same problem. I'm a very good home cook, but with pot roast, there were soooo many variables. The size of the meat, the thickness, the amount of fat (depending on the cut).... all of this really threw me off. I tried oven roasting, stove top, crock pot...

Finally, for me, what worked was the following:

1) whatever piece of meat it is, pat dry it very very thoroughly with paper towels.
2) brown it in some oil (I don't agree with the notion that you have to "sear" it, just use a nice heavy pan and medium heat and get a nice brown color on the outside) - and brown it all over, all around. take your time with this step, it's where most of the flavor is created.
3) place it in the cooking pan with a nice tight lid (preferably heavy, cast iron or enamel dutch oven), with sliced onions, carrots, celery and whatever liquid mix you like. I don't use too much liquid. I've used leftover stock, red wine, DH likes ketchup and beef stock mixed half-and-half.
4) bake at a very low temperature. 250 degrees. The aim is low, slow cooking. I turn the meat over every hour or so, that way the top won't dry out.

Bake until the internal temperature of 160 (medium) is reached, or 170 for well-done. Invest in a good meat thermometer if you're really serious about your meat, it made a BIG difference for me. I do estimate my bake time according to weight - approximately 30 minutes per 1/2 pound. But again, the shape of the meat can have a big impact. A big, flat cut will cook faster than a smaller but very round piece. You'll start getting a sense of how the meat is cooking because as you flip it, you'll be able to feel how cooked (and how tender) the meat it.

I've tried the slow cooker too - it works if I've bought a BIG PIECE OF MEAT but when I've tried cooking smaller roasts (we're a light-eating family of 2.5) they always got overcooked and stringy. So sometimes I have to do it the really old-fashioned way, it's the only way I can get a small roast to taste good.

Good luck, I'd love to read other tips, I'm hoping to learn how to improve....

 

[G&GMom]

I also make mine in the crock-pot with Lipton onion soup. They are always very tender!

 

[MeggerasMa]

Have to agree with one of the above posters. This is the easiest and quickest for me to throw together in the morning before work -
1 beef roast - place in crockpot
Top roast with contents of 1 envelope of onion soup mix
Slather on the contents of 1 can of cream of mushroom soup (do not dilute)
No added water is necessary. Cook all day. Your house will smell wonderful when you get home from work and it will even make its own delicious gravy.

You can also add vegetables to the crock if you want.
Enjoy!

 

[WVMomof3]

I use the recipe I found on here last year. It really is very flavorful and my kids love it.

3-4 pound roast (I never know what kind to buy, so I buy whats on sale)
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1 envelope Italian Dressing mix
1 envelope brown gravy mix
1/2 cup water

Put roast in crock pot, mix the rest of the ingredients and pour on top. Cook low for 6-8 hours. I also don't put any veggies in, just do mashed potatoes.

(I use low sodium brown gravy mix and usually half of the other envelopes because I found it a little salty, but I guess it depends on how big your roast is.)

 

[Mom_Rides]

I personally don't think it matters the type of roast you buy as much as how it's cooked. I've had chuck roasts, round roasts, arm roasts, rump roasts and never found there to be a difference. I usually get a 3-4 lb.

I use my slow cooker and put the roast in frozen. I have done it a lot of different ways but found the best I make is either with a can of Coke and a packet of onion soup mix or a can of Coke and cream of mushroom soup or a can of cream of mushroom soup and a packet of onion soup. Then I cook on low for 8-10 hours. My roasts are always tasty and tender. I then take the liquid out of the crockpot and use that for the gravy. We don't like potatoes or carrots in with our roasts. We prefer mashed potatoes.

I have also used the McCormick slow cooker pot roast seasoning and it makes a very tasty, tender roast.

Good luck!

 

[phragmipedium]

Crock pot is the way to go. I put my roast in frozen, surround with peeled chunked potatoes and carrots, pour over a can of beef broth and a bottle of beer. Then I add onion powder, garlic powder, ground mustard, salt & pepper, and usually brown gravy mix - I will do onion soup mix if I have it, but prefer just using spices. Not a fan of mushroom soup so I do not use that. I just let it cook all day and then fish everything out when I get home, thickening the liquid for gravy if it needs it. Always tender and falling apart - so, so good. My MIL makes hers in the oven and never understands why it's tough - she's a great cook, but pot roast is something of mine my DH definitely prefers to his mother's.

I have purchased several kinds of roasts and as long as it cooks long enough, they all get tender and the connective tissues dissolve. I think the type matters more if you can't give it a long-enough cooking time. I usually get chuck roasts but if there are good sales, I'll buy other boneless "roast-y" looking cuts.

 

[Blue.Fairy2]

Juicy moist pot roast!!!

Put pot roast in slow cooker
pour Lipton onion soup mix over it
pour a can of coke on top
Cook for 6 hours and it literally breaks apart when you take it out.

This is the only way I ever make it. Very yummy!!

Mine is similar but you use a roasting bag, lipton soup, and 1 can of budweiser beer.

You can add what ever vegis you like....mushrooms, carrots, celery, potatos

cook at 350 for 3 hours or until done depending on the size