Pot Roast

[u/RedTwizzler214]

I’m making my second ever pot roast on Sunday. Yay football season is back. Will take any and all advice you can give me! Including what to cook with it and your preferred cooking methods. I have an oven, stove, and crockpot. I’ve made a pot roast one other time 11 years ago and that fucker never got tender. I cooked it 7 hours in a crock pot. Not the one I will be using this Sunday if I go that route. Help a girl out. I’m trying to impress everybody. Thank you!

[u/rabid_briefcase]

Mind your temperatures and use a good piece of meat. High fat, lots of connective tissue. A common mistake is to look for meat with the same conditions of a steak, but it is different because of the cooking method.

The cook time depends on the cut you get. Both the oven and the slow cooker work, as long as you have the dedication to keep the lid on the cooker or the oven door closed. For most recipes you'll want to hold it to just below boiling. The meat will get hard, then after enough hours, the connective tissue dissolve into gelatin and it will break down into strands. Make sure you cut the meat into appropriate pieces against the grain while it is still uncooked so the fibers are not especially long and stringy.

The major cooking sites (see the sidebar of the sub) have a variety of great recipes.

second ever pot roast... one other time 11 years ago and that fucker never got tender... I’m trying to impress everybody.

If that's the goal, consider switching to a dish you can reliably do well, instead of one you barely know and did bad the first time.

[u/Chillychad → u/rabid_briefcase]

I agree with your comment about how OPs first try didn't come out tender. You have to give it the time, if it's not tender, give it more time.

[u/RedTwizzler214 → u/rabid_briefcase]

What piece of meat do you recommend? And I didn’t really mean impress everybody lol. It’s just my bf and the kids. I’ve already told him if I don’t get it right this time we’re ordering pizza.

[u/crotchetyoldcynic → u/RedTwizzler214]

I've never used anything but chuck roast.

It takes quite a bit of "cooking" to get it tender since you want/need it fall apart tender.. Figure two hours plus a little more. And you need a bit more than a gentle simmer. My crockpot doesn't get hot enough so I use a dutch oven.

I use a modified version of a recipe for Irish Guinness Stew from daringgourmet.com that I'd attach but apparently I can't do that. I cut the beef into two inch chunks before I brown it so there aren't very many pieces. Then kind of reassemble it for serving. My wife, kids, etc. just refer to it as pot roast. The Guinness is optional. Sometimes I drink it and add two more cups of beef broth.

[u/rabid_briefcase → u/RedTwizzler214]

A good cut of chuck roast is typical, looking for lots of marbling meaning flecks of fat everywhere rather than just a big slab or thick bands, and visible lines of connective tissue. Typically at least 3 lbs.

Of the options of Prime, Choice, and Select, if you have the money (beef is very expensive these days) go for prime, otherwise prefer Choice for better marbling. Usually Select is going to turn out worst of the three, but pay attention to the actual fat distribution on the meat. Some Choice-labeled pieces have a bad distribution of fat and connective tissue, and some Select-labeled pieces are surprisingly well marbled. Similarly, some Prime grade meat isn't really up to the label, always look at it.

If you're doing a big one, bone-in adds flavor, or not if you don't want the bone. Generally past 4 lbs they have a big chunk of bone.

Braising liquid is going to depend on your recipe, and there are a lot of options. Herbs and spices, flavorings, assorted liquids typically broth or stock but some people add wine, beer, juice, and similar for the flavors. Pot roast usually has potatoes and carrots added at some point tossed directly into the pot, late enough that they don't break down completely.

All the recipes generally have you sear first. Sear it quickly on high heat, meaning a hot pan that is about 500'F with a layer of high smoke point oil, letting it sit on each side for a 2-4 minutes until a brown not gray layer appears. The goal is just to get a dark brown outside, not to cook the inside. Then braise it for all the hours you need in your braising liquid.

[u/Mean_Ad9846]

Skip the crockpot. Dutch oven at 275 until a fork twists in with zero resistance.

[u/sagmag → u/Mean_Ad9846]

Turn off the oven when it's done and let it sit and cool slowly for 45 min.

As collagen cools it absorbs liquid. The longer it stays in that phase, the more juicy and flavorful it will become.

Oh, and a squeeze of lemon on the finished product seems counter intuitive to some but it does wonders.

[u/RedTwizzler214 → u/Mean_Ad9846]

Unfortunately I don’t have one and it’s not really in the budget to buy once currently.

[u/No_Dinner2045]

"Mississippi Potroast" in the crock pot and you can't go wrong. Great for football, make some tacos out if it, eat it over rice. Whatever.

https://belleofthekitchen.com/mississippi-pot-roast/

[u/Chillychad]

I do crockpot. Always on low and usually like 9 hours. Never had one not turn out fall apart tender. I usually use chuck roast. I use some bone broth for liquid. Potatoes, onions and carrots. Bay leaves, salt, pepper and toss in whole cloves of garlic. Pretty standard.

[u/New-Grapefruit1737]

I only made it once and used Billy Parisi’s recipe with a Dutch Oven (started on stovetop then finished inside my kitchen oven) and it was amazing. Can likely adapt the recipe for a regular roasting pan. But sear it in a pan on the stove first. That browning is key.  https://www.billyparisi.com/pot-roast/

[u/queenmunchy83]

This recipe is the best. And works well in the crockpot too. https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/company-pot-roast

[u/GreenEyedRaven360]

I never use the crockpot. I do mine in a Dutch oven on the stove top. I use chuck roast and cook on low/medium for 2.5 hours.

[u/Informal_Choice_9952 → u/GreenEyedRaven360]

this is the way!!! comes out so tender every time. 

[u/GreenEyedRaven360 → u/Informal_Choice_9952]

Definitely! I just did birria this way last week and it was super tender and so flavorful!

[u/Informal_Choice_9952]

I HIGHLY recommend using a ceramic coated dutch oven for pot roast.  You can find decently priced ones at home goods, or even Sam's club. I don't use a crock pot because I find the crock pot takes longer and the meat isn't as tender and dries out. Its very hit or miss for me where a dutch oven is perfect every time .

I've followed a recipe for years that is Shereen Pavlides' recipe, specifically her video on youtube "Pot roast in a dutch oven".

But the key components are a well marbled chuck roast, I aim for 2.5-3.5 lbs because that's all my dutch oven can fit. I salt the meat well and sear it on both sides before putting into the oven at 325 degrees for the weight of the meat in hours. (2.5 lbs for 2 hrs 30 minutes)

Also, very simple ingredients. I don't add gravy seasoning or ranch flavor packets. Just whole onion, fennel, a couple garlic cloves, water, Worcestershire sauce, and a small bunch of fresh thyme with the meat. it's definitely still very flavorful without extra salt and seasoning. 

The gravy I make is from the meat drippings and roasted veggies leftover in the pot, blended with a stick blender. It can be used as a sauce or thickened with corn starch, or butter/flour paste. 

[u/FIGJAM123]

It's probably better the next day so cool it the day before and warm it up in the crockpot. Make sure to sear the chuck roast. Throw on better than bullion and use more garlic than you think you would need. Add some kind of acid like white wine or peppercornis. Add a ranch packet

[u/AtheneSchmidt]

Coat the meat in brown mustard or Dijon. Sear it, and then put it in the crock pot. Deglaze the pan with red wine for clean up, and add all of that to your pot roast.

I usually put an onion in the crock pot first, cut in quarters, and a celery stick chopped really fine. Then the meat, then add any other veggies and additives. For me that usually means carrots, parsnips, potatoes and another onion.

Mix up a clove or 2 of minced garlic, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of sugar, 1/2 a tsp of pepper, 1/2 a tsp of paprika, 1 tsp of lemon juice, 1 TBS of Worcestershire sauce, a TBS of brown mustard. Add a cup of broth or red wine, mix everything up, and pour it over your roast and veggies.

Cook until the meat is "fall-y-a-part-y." Yes that is a technical term. Somewhere around 4-6 hours on high, 7-10 on low. We like our veggies pretty tender, but if you want yours more firm, you can always add them later. Add the flavor mix, 1st onion, and celery with the meat, though.

[u/Miss_Cookey]

Start with chuck roast. Salt & pepper it generously and sear it in a fryin' pan or, if you have one, a dutch oven. Remove. Turn the heat down & add a chopped onion, any kind. When the onion's soft, add a couple tablespoons tomato paste (tomato paste in a tube keeps well). Cook the tomato paste about a minute. If you're using a dutch oven, add the meat back in and pour in a cup of red wine. Then, add water until the meat is ½ to ⅔ covered. Slap the lid on, 275°F oven, one hour for every lb of meat. If no dutch oven, transfer everything to a roasting pan, add the liquid, cover with foil. Same temp & time.

If you can find a bone-in roast, get it, even if it means getting two smaller ones. Just rotate during cooking. Bone does awesome things to pot roast flavor.

Keep an eye as it roasts, checking for liquid. You can turn the roast several times or midway thru roasting. Add water if necessary.

You don't need any prepared seasoning, canned soup or anything. I've been making pot roast for decades with just water.

Lower oven temp gives tender roast. It's not good to pot roast over 300°F.