Pot roast is a comfort food
Dearly loved by many as a comfort food, a pot roast brings succulent goodness to the dinner table. This beef dish cooks slowly, developing the mellow, savory flavors from the meat and any accompanying vegetables. Typical additions to a pot roast pan are onions, carrots, potatoes and sometimes celery. As the pot roast cooks, it creates its own gravy from juices extracted from the meat. Preparing pot roasts is an easy task.
Cuts of Beef
Many cuts of beef are suitable for pot roasting.
The flavorful but less-tender cuts of beef are ideal for making pot roast; when slow cooked in liquid, the fibers become very tender. Choose a cut that is generously marbled for the best flavor, or select a cut with less fat for a healthier roast. Potential pot roasts can be found in cuts such as chuck arm or shoulder pot roasts, chuck eye, brisket or blade roast. The bottom round roast is a leaner choice, as is the eye round.
Oven Cooking
Pot roasts simmer for several hours in the oven, becoming fork tender. The pot roast is first seared on all sides in a large cooking pan, then placed in an oven-proof baking dish. If using a Dutch oven, you can sear and cook the meat in the same pan. Liquid and flavorings are added next and vegetables can be placed around the outside of the roast. The pan is then covered very tightly with either a heavy, well-fitted lid or aluminum foil. The time spent in the oven will vary according to the size of the roast, but an average 3 lb. roast should not take longer than two and a half to three hours at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Stovetop Cooking
The pot roast can be seared and then adorned with seasonings, vegetables and liquid, then simmered on a low heat for several hours in a covered pan. Deep cast-iron pans are ideal for this, provided they have a tight-fitting lid. Dutch ovens work well, too. Check the pot roast often. Care must be taken to ensure that the liquid does not boil away. With this method, a trivet is sometimes used to keep the meat off the bottom of the pan.
Slow Cooker
The pot roast can be placed in a slow cooker early in the day and forgotten until dinner time. An average-sized roast cooks on low for up to eight hours and on high for four. As with the oven method, the roast is seared on all sides first and then placed in the cooker along with liquid and desired flavorings and vegetables. This very slow method will render a pot roast so tender that it may be difficult to lift out of the cooker in one piece. With a slow cooker, it is tempting to lift the lid occasionally, but unless you need to add vegetables in the middle of the cooking, it's not a good idea. Slow cookers must slowly get back up to temperature, and this adds to the total cooking time.
Pressure Cooker
Pressure cookers reduce the time it takes for pot roasts to get done. The meat is seared, all accompanying items are added, then the roast is put under pressure.The steam that forms from the liquids cooks the meat quickly and tenderizes it at the same time. A 3 lb. pot roast should cook in about 45 minutes at a pressure of 15 lbs. per square inch, making meal preparation a snap at the end of a busy day.
Flavors
The classic method of flavoring a pot roast is with a packet of dry onion soup mix, the kind used for onion dip, and a can of cream of mushroom soup. Either spread the soup on top of the roast and sprinkle with the dry soup mix or blend the two flavorings together and then spread it on the roast. This makes a hearty gravy to accompany the roast and to spoon over a side dish such as mashed potatoes or rice. For a zesty pot roast, place the seared meat in the pan and pour salsa over it. Cook as usual and use the resulting tomato gravy over polenta or cheese grits. A lighter pot roast results when the seared meat is covered with generous amounts of garlic, shallots, red wine and mushrooms.
Tags: comfort food, cuts beef, from meat, roast cooks, roast seared