Pot Roast Questions - On a Quest for a Perfect Recipe

[mickeysgal]

I have this love/hate relationship with pot roast. I have tried many recipes over the years either in the oven or in a crock pot and it has produced pot roasts that ranged from terrible to pretty good. Never outstanding. I just looked at the Pioneer Woman's recipe and it calls for a chuck roast. What cut of meat do you use? I've used various cuts - I want it lean and tender with no fat or hint of fat. Once it's cooked, wouldn't you still have fat with a chuck roast?

 

[lucas]

This sounds a little weird but it works. It is fantastic! I cooked 1 rump roast in the oven it really came out great.

POT ROAST

2 boneless chuck roasts (2.5 pounds each)
1 envelope Ranch dressing mix
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
1 envelope brown gravy mix
1/2 cup water
carrots

Place roasts in a slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine mixes and water. Whisk together. Pour over roasts. Add some carrots to pot. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours until tender. (Or, cook in oven for 4 hours at 350 degrees.)

 

[cabanafrau]

Yes, a chuck roast is what they grind up for ground chuck, so that's the level of fat you should expect from the roast.

It sounds like you're looking for something more like a sirloin tip roast, which generally does need to be cooked a bit differently from a chuck roast, because without the fat content like the chuck you have to take care not to dry it out.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I have this love/hate relationship with pot roast. I have tried many recipes over the years either in the oven or in a crock pot and it has produced pot roasts that ranged from terrible to pretty good. Never outstanding. I just looked at the Pioneer Woman's recipe and it calls for a chuck roast. What cut of meat do you use? I've used various cuts - I want it lean and tender with no fat or hint of fat. Once it's cooked, wouldn't you still have fat with a chuck roast?

I use a chuck roast but yes it is fatty.

 

[java]

Chuck roaster here also- I think it's the most flavorful (cheap)
I used this recipe recently and it's the new favorite

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/pot-roast-recipe2/index.html

 

[Wishing on a star]

It kind of sounds like you are hoping to have your cake and eat it too.

I am thinking that you are thinking about commercial restaurant roast.... which is really highly processed. And, in the end. There is probably just as much fat in there as a regular roast.

A pot roast is not freshly sliced prime beef.

Beef does have fat.
In fact, the higher quality and grades of beef have more of a nice 'marble'. I have never seen a steak without a good 'marble' that was any good.

If you get a super lean cut of beef, it is not going to have as much flavor or be as tender. If slow cooked long enough, much of the fat and gristle will break down...

Let the roast 'rest' for plenty of time before cutting.
It will re-absorb all the juices.
It will be easier to slice.

Then, you can trim away any exterior fats that are left that surround the sections of meat.

I have cooked the roast called 'mock tender'... They have come out well.
It is like a large beef-tip. narrows down at one end.
You might want to see if they have those in your area.
It does have one fat-gristle area that runs right down the center.
But that is it.

1. Slow cook for a longer time.
2. Let it rest before slicing.
3. The exterior heavier fats are easy enough to remove after resting.

 

[vicki_c]

To make a good pot roast, you need to start with a fattier cut of meat like chuck roast. Similar to how you can't really make a good meatloaf using the lower fat version of ground meat. There are some things that just need fattier cuts to work well.

If you want to use a leaner cut of meat, you should cook it differently than the all day in the crockpot / hours in the oven method.

 

[albarellic]

I too use a chuck roast, but I trim all of the exterior fat off. If there happens to be a thick vein running down the middle, I take that out as well. There's enough marbling in the meat to keep it moist without the extra fat.

For the recipe you need:
1- 2-3 lb. chuck roast trimmed
salt, pepper and flour
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 can of low sodium beef broth
1/2 of a 1lb bag of baby carrots
1/2 of a bag of frozen pearl onions
dried herbs of your choice- my family like Herbes de Provence- I use about 1/2 tsp.

So after you trim the fat, season the meat with salt, pepper and dredge in flour. Sear it off in a very hot pan until all sides are nice and brown in a little vegetable oil (1/2 tsp maybe-not a lot). After the meat is browned move it to a crockpot and deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of red wine and add to crockpot. Place the veggies around the meat and pour in vinegar and beef broth and sprinkle with herbs. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. I take out the meat and veggies, strain the broth with a fat seperator and thicken it with flour to make a nice gravy.

 

[luvmy3]

Sear all sides first, that makes a difference.

 

[bookgirl]

I have this love/hate relationship with pot roast. I have tried many recipes over the years either in the oven or in a crock pot and it has produced pot roasts that ranged from terrible to pretty good. Never outstanding. I just looked at the Pioneer Woman's recipe and it calls for a chuck roast. What cut of meat do you use? I've used various cuts - I want it lean and tender with no fat or hint of fat. Once it's cooked, wouldn't you still have fat with a chuck roast?

I prefer lean meats but long cooking roasts need fat to get the right texture. Meat with no fat or tissue needs to cook faster than a traditional roast or it dries out and gets tough. Weird I know but a pot roast without fat just never turns out for me.

I think I get either a chuck (long cook) or a round roast (needs lots of liquid and careful cooking). I avoid the word loin when I want to do a slow pot roast. I like to do loins either in the oven.

I love the mixture above with ranch, italian and brown gravy mixes. It tastes really really good.

 

[Uptown Girl]

You can either get a good tasting roast or you can have a no fat roast, you have to decide. As long as you don't eat the fat, it isn't really an issue how fatty a piece of meat is but the fat is what gives meat more flavor.

I use chuck roasts for my slow cooked roasts. I try to find the fattiest piece I can. I season the roast and cook in the oven at 250 for 4-6 hours (covered). It is almost impossible to get it out of the pan as it falls apart it is so tender. I make gravy from the drippings but you wouldn't have to . Trim the fat AFTER you cook and you will be MUCH happier with the results.

 

[Dallas_Lady]

you can either get a good tasting roast or you can have a no fat roast, you have to decide.

+1

 

[The Mystery Machine]

You can either get a good tasting roast or you can have a no fat roast, you have to decide. As long as you don't eat the fat, it isn't really an issue how fatty a piece of meat is but the fat is what gives meat more flavor.

I use chuck roasts for my slow cooked roasts. I try to find the fattiest piece I can. I season the roast and cook in the oven at 250 for 4-6 hours (covered). It is almost impossible to get it out of the pan as it falls apart it is so tender. I make gravy from the drippings but you wouldn't have to . Trim the fat AFTER you cook and you will be MUCH happier with the results.

OK, sold! I am doing this next time.

Do you cook it with veggies, like potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, or onions?

 

[Praying Colonel]

Yep, chuck roast is the weapon of choice for pot roast.

If you insist on using a lean cut like bottom round, cook it at high heat for a very short period of time and then slice it extremely thin against the grain. Here's a recipe I used for a round roast my in-laws asked me to cook for them and it turned out OK:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/high-temperature-eye-of-round-roast/

It won't be the same as pot roast, but that's the tradeoff when you use a lean cut of meat to roast. It just doesn't have the fat and collagen content that you need to do a proper pot roast.

 

[Uptown Girl]

OK, sold! I am doing this next time.

Do you cook it with veggies, like potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, or onions?

Sometimes I will put carrots in the roast but usually just cook the roast. I make mashed potatoes and corn to go with this. It's everyone's favorite meal here.

It is SO easy, but seems like you spent a lot of time on it. You stick it in the oven and forget it all day. If it is just a regular meal here, I make potatoes that day. If I am having a lot of company, I make the potatoes the day before. I season the roast, liberally, with a little of this a little of that but mostly it's pepper, ground red peppers, salt, garlic salt, onion salt.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Sometimes I will put carrots in the roast but usually just cook the roast. I make mashed potatoes and corn to go with this. It's everyone's favorite meal here.

It is SO easy, but seems like you spent a lot of time on it. You stick it in the oven and forget it all day. If it is just a regular meal here, I make potatoes that day. If I am having a lot of company, I make the potatoes the day before. I season the roast, liberally, with a little of this a little of that but mostly it's pepper, ground red peppers, salt, garlic salt, onion salt.

Ok, we like the veggies roasted. I make mashed with chicken.

I season my roast with Lipton Onion Mushroom soup (dry soup).

Do you sear in the pan first before roasting?

 

[tlbwriter]

I cook my pot roast in the crock pot so I roast my veggies separately. I cut up the veggies and toss them with a little of the cooking liquid from the roast, to give them flavor, plus a little bit of olive oil and S&P.

 

[Uptown Girl]

Ok, we like the veggies roasted. I make mashed with chicken.

I season my roast with Lipton Onion Mushroom soup (dry soup).

Do you sear in the pan first before roasting?

Nope, no need to with slow cooking like this. I used to use the Lipton Onion soup but found it was too salty for me so I switched to my own. Either works. I just liberally season all sides of the roast and stick it in the oven...it's that easy.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

I make mine in the crock pot.

Depending on the size of the roast, I put in one or two cans of beef broth, black pepper, onion powder or a chopped fresh onion, small whole potatoes (wash but leave the skins on) a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce and some carrots (either baby ones or chopped whole ones, whatever I have in the house). My dd loves the flavor of the potatoes when they come out, they absorb all the juices and flavors and they are so soft and melt in your mouth. I do not salt the roast, there is enough in the seasonings and the broth. If you use low sodium you may want to add some.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Nope, no need to with slow cooking like this. I used to use the Lipton Onion soup but found it was too salty for me so I switched to my own. Either works. I just liberally season all sides of the roast and stick it in the oven...it's that easy.

Thanks. I will try it out.