When people speak about “pot roast”, they could either be describing a cut of beef or a cooking method. The original pot roast used the tougher cuts of beef, and a method that would soften and flavor the meat. Though there are many different methods used, the most common is to brown the meat and then cover and braise it with vegetables in some liquid. The remaining liquid is usually thickened or cooked down to make a gravy or sauce, and the meat is then served with potatoes. Cooking a pot roast may be done on the stove top, in a crock pot or in the oven. Traditionally, the chuck is used to make pot roast, though one can choose more tender beef cuts instead. Other good choices are brisket, rump roast, and top and bottom round. Here are some how to cook a pot roast instructions. Read on crockpot recipes.
How to Cook a Pot Roast in the Oven
You will need:
1 (2-pound) blade cut chuck roast
½ cup dark raisins
2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup cocktail olives, drained and broken
2 tsp cumin
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
5 to 6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup tomato juice
1 medium onion, chopped
Vegetable oil
Directions: Combine the salt and cumin in a bowl and rub it on both sides of the meat.
Preheat the oven to 200°F. Heat a wide, heavy skillet over high heat for 2 minutes.
When the pan becomes really hot, add the meat and brown it on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
Pour in enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pan, and once its heated, add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion turns translucent.
Then add the tomato juice, olives, vinegar and raisins. Bring the tomato juice mixture to a boil and continue boiling until you have half the liquid left.
Fashion a wide pouch from aluminum foil. Transfer the reduced liquid and add meat to it. Close the pouch, and wrap up another complete layer of foil over it.
Place in the oven and cook for 3 to 3½ hours or until the meat is tender when jabbed with a fork. Remove from oven and let it sit wrapped for at least half an hour.
To make the entire unwrapping process easy, make an opening in 1 corner of the foil pouch and pout any remaining liquid into a bowl. Toss in some of the ‘chunkies’ and spin it using a handheld blender. If you don’t have one, pour the liquid into a regular blender/food processor. Slice the meat into thin slices and serve with sauce. Also read on chicken recipes.
How to Cook a Pot Roast in a Crock Pot
Follow step one mentioned above. As mentioned above, brown the beef on both sides in a skillet over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Then spray a 4 or 5 quart crock pot cooker with cooking spray, and if you plan to use vegetables, toss them in. Add the meat over the vegetables and cover the crock pot. If you cook on high heat, then leave the meat and vegetables in for six hours. If you cook on low heat, leave them in for eight to ten hours. When they are done cooking, take them out of the crock pot and allow the meat to stand for ten minutes before slicing. If the vegetables are mashed, you may want to puree them and use them as gravy.
How to Cook a Pot Roast on the Stove
To cook a pot roast on a stove, start by rubbing the meat with salt and pepper. Add a tablespoon of oil to a heavy skillet, place over medium heat, and add the meat when hot. Brown it on both sides, add in the liquid mixture the recipe recommends and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 3 to 4 hours. Add vegetables and cook for 20 minutes. Remove, slice the meat and serve.
Read About:
Easy Pot Roast Recipes
Easy Beef Recipes
Cooking Beef Ribs in the Oven
Cooking Beef Brisket
Once you get a hang of the method of how to cook a pot roast, you can experiment with different ingredients that will provide different flavors. You can also try different cuts of meat as per your preference. However, if you use tender cuts, remember to cut down the cooking time.
