I love pot roast for so many reasons. It is the ultimate comfort food and is relatively cheap to feed a crowd. It's a slow cooker meal, so you can put everything in a pot, and go on with your day until it's done.
But sometimes pot roast can be a little boring, so I wanted to liven it up a bit with a few different ingredients that will add to the depth of flavor and increase the nutritional value of the dish.
I added some different veggies and fruit such as sweet potatoes or butternut squash and apples. An array of warm spices really make this dish come alive including rosemary, allspice, cinnamon, and crushed red pepper. I serve it with whole wheat couscous instead of mashed potatoes.
Tips:
The best cuts of meat for pot roast come from the chuck or shoulder section. Look for boneless beef chuck shoulder, beef chuck arm, or beef chuck blade pot roast. The label will usually include "pot roast". Select a roast with a bright red color. Avoid a roast that has a grayish color or has grayish or brownish blotches.
I use a slow cooker, also called a crockpot, to make this dish, but often I double the recipe when feeding a crowd or at least double the meat. It depends on how much I can fit into my slow cooker!
If my slow cooker is too small, I can put the pot roast into a large dutch oven and cook the pot roast in the oven. Just cook low and slow with the lid on. *The temperatures convert in the oven for low heat- 190 degrees, or high heat - 275-300 degrees.
However, after researching, I recommend (if not using a slow cooker) cooking the roast in the oven at 275 degrees with the lid on for 3 plus hours for a 3 pound roast, and 4 to 5 hours for a 4 to 5 pound roast.
I actually like the taste of the roast better if I cook it in the oven, put I don't feel good about leaving the house all day with the oven on. I like the convenience of the slow cooker and I don't worry if I have to work all day. If you brown the roast before you put it in the slow cooker, the taste is similar to cooking it in the oven.
You can also cook a pot roast on the stove, but I have never really liked this method, however, many people do. It could be that is not the way my mom did it!
Note: You do not have to brown the meat or veggies before you put them in the slow cooker, especially if you are short on time. I like to brown the meat because it adds a depth of flavor to the pot roast.Most Asked Questions
1. Why was my pot roast dry and tough? Answer: You did not cook it long enough. The secret to a good pot roast is low and slow cooking. To test for doneness, insert a fork into the thickest part of the meat. If done, the fork should come out easily with no resistance and the meat should easily fall apart. If not done, increase the time for 20-30 minutes and check the meat again. If the vegetables and apples are cooked, remove them from the cooker. Add them back into the slow cooker to warm them through when the meat is done.
Note: Not all ovens are alike. For example, my oven runs a little hot. How do I know this? I put an oven thermometer (an oven thermometer is a small metal thermometer that stands up on one of the racks in your oven. You can purchase one at most grocery stores) in my oven and set the temperature of my oven to 350 degrees. I waited for 10 minutes and my oven thermometer read 360 degrees when it should have read 350 degrees. My oven runs 10 degrees hotter than what it indicated on the oven display.
Now that I know this, I can adjust my oven temperature accordingly. 2. Why was my pot roast tasteless? You did not season the roast well enough. Be sure to liberally salt and pepper the roast when searing. In addition, when you put the roast on the platter, salt and pepper again. Also, searing the meat and browning/sauteing the onions, garlic, and rosemary sprigs before adding them to the slow cooker will add a depth of flavor. Adding the spices and wine to the liquid will add additional flavor and tenderness. Be sure to pour over some of the leftover juices on the roast before you serve it.
First, gather your ingredients:
*Note: in the picture to the left and the pictures below- I doubled the meat since we were expecting a bigger crowd.
Also, I used sweet potatoes and apples.
Ingredients: Makes approximately 8 servings
1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil plus 1-2 more tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 large onions cut into wedges
1-2 sprigs of fresh rosemary (optional)
5 to 6 cloves of garlic minced or finely chopped
1 3-31/2 pound boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 2-3 sections if necessary to fit into slow-cooker.
Salt, or better yet, Kosher salt, pepper, and powdered or granulated garlic to season the beef
1 cup of dry red wine or beef stock or broth
1/4 cup of tomato paste
3 Tbsp of apple cider or apple cider vinegar
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp of dried rosemary or 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary finely chopped (omits if you used the rosemary sprigs above)
1 tsp of allspice
1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes
1 tsp of salt
1 butternut squash (2-lb ) peeled and seeded and cut up into 1/2 inch wedges. You may also substitute fresh pumpkin or sweet potatoes cleaned and cut up into 1/2 inch wedges.
2 large quince (similar taste as a green apple) or 2 large firm apples that keep their structure during cooking such as Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Cortland, Braeburn, Fuji, Gala, etc. Cut the fruit into 1/2 wedges. Cut the apples right before you add them so they do not turn brown
4 cups of hot cooked Couscous, follow directions on the package.
Directions:
Put 1 tablespoon of oil into a large skillet or dutch oven. Heat to medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until slightly browned. Turn down the heat to medium and add the sprigs of rosemary (intact) if you have them, and then add the garlic and cook for one or two more minutes until the rosemary and garlic are fragrant but not burned. Take out the onions, rosemary, and garlic, and set them aside on a separate plate.
2. Brown/sear the beef to seal in the flavor.
Pat the pieces of meat dry with paper towels. Liberally season the meat with Kosher salt, pepper, and powdered or granulated garlic. Turn the stove to medium-high heat. Add one to two tablespoons of oil to the same large skillet or dutch oven.
When the oil is hot, brown the meat on all sides, turning the meat with kitchen tongs until all the sides are browned. Add more oil if necessary. If doubling the recipe, you will need to brown the meat in batches. Do not crowd the pan.
3. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.
4. Carefully add the wine to the hot pan to deglaze the pan and get all the brown bits of flavor up from the pan. In other words, add the wine to the hot pan, and then stir and scape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon (so you don't scratch your pan) to release all that grit and good flavor from the bottom of the pan.
Turn off the burner and let the liquid cool down a little.
5. Place the browned onions and garlic in a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Place the beef on top of the onions.
6. In a medium bowl, combine the cooled wine, tomato paste, cider or vinegar, rosemary, allspice, salt, and red pepper. Pour the mixture over the beef and add the cinnamon sticks to the slow cooker.
7. Cover and cook on the low-heat setting for 6 hours or on the high-heat setting for 3 hours. Turn up the setting to high-heat if it is on the low setting. Gently add in the squash (or pumpkin or sweet potatoes) and quince. Cover and cook 1 1/2 to 2 hours more until the squash is tender. If using apples, add to the cooker the last 1/2 hour of cooking.
8. Remove and discard the stem of the rosemary sprigs. Also discard the cinnamon sticks or reserve them for decoration on the platter. Break up the beef into manageable pieces (I like big chunks) or shred it with two forks if desired. Put the beef on a platter then add the vegetables and fruit. Pour some of the juices over the meat. Add chopped parsley or cilantro for color and freshness.
Serve with couscous in bowls. Have some additional juices to serve on the side. For an informal family dinner, put the beef and veggies back in the cooker.
Pot roast is always a hit for a family dinner, but it can also be good with your sweetheart and a nice glass of wine. ❤️
Especially good on a cold evening.
I hope you and your loved ones enjoy this more healthy version of pot roast.
Enjoy and Bon appetite! 😘p
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