Slow Cooker Pot Roast

It’s cold. Maybe it’s snowing. You’ve put on your thickest sweater, and you’ve got a fire going. But you still can almost feel the cold seeping through the doors and windows. Sure, it’s all in your mind, but still…

Enter the pot roast. It’s not only Comfort Food for dinner; it’s comfort all day long as you smell it simmering in the slow cooker, promising beefy richness as the sun goes down. Like I said – Comfort Food.

There are dozens, if not hundreds of ways to cook pot roast. You can do it in a pot on the stove (duh!), in the oven or in a slow cooker. If you’re really a Grill Freak (and I know some of you are – admit it; you’ll feel better) you can even do it on a grill. I’ve even done it over an open fire in the middle of nowhere with coyotes and other critters creeping up to see what that tantalizing smell was.

There are also a wide variety of recipes, from very simple to somewhat complex. Breathe easy; this one is pretty simple. A little chopping, and a quick sear of the meat (if you have time) and that’s about it. So… let’s get started, shall we?

Ingredients:

4 to 6 pound roast (see below)
Olive oil
2 onions – medium or large, depending on size of roast
3 to 6 carrots – again, depending on size of roast
3 to 6 potatoes – do I need to type it again?
1 to 2 stalks celery
2 to 3 cans condensed mushroom soup
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 to 3 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Water AND
2 to 3 cubes beef bullion OR
beef broth

Optional:

fresh green beans OR
peas

Mushrooms

Before You Begin, Let’s Talk Roasts:

The classic roast for this recipe is chuck roast. In some areas, they even call this cut a pot roast. Here in California and some other areas, tri-tip roast is a favorite. Really, you can use pretty much any roast or other large cut of beef, but this recipe was originally a way to tenderize tougher (cheaper) cuts of meat. If you’re new at this, I’d suggest a chuck roast, but feel free to experiment over time to see which one you like best. Now, let’s go have some fun.

Instructions:

Heat large pan or skillet over medium heat. When hot, add a bit of oil. Heat oil until shimmering.

Sear pot roast on ALL sides. Do the big ol’ flat top and bottom first, then use tongs to hold the roast for the smaller sides.

Place pot roast in slow cooker and turn on low. Or high, if you’re in a hurry. Well, hurry doesn’t really go with slow cooker does it? Let’s just say if you want it done in 4 to 5 hours, put it on high. If you have the time, definitely put it on low and let it go all day long.

Coarsely chop the onions, carrots, potatoes and celery. Feel free to peel the potatoes if you want, but I leave the skin on for the taste. Put it all in the crock pot.

If you’re using fresh green beans, add them now, too. Wait on the peas and mushrooms, though.

Mash the garlic cloves with a knife blade. Peel the outer skin, then chop finely. Add that in, too.

Add the soup mix, salt and pepper. If you like spicy, you can also add a bit of hot sauce or pepper sauce.

Add the mushroom soup. Make sure to scrape it all out of the can. You don’t want to miss any of it.

If you’re using beef broth, add about 1/4 cup per pound of meat, or a bit more to taste.

If you’re using water and bullion, crush the bullion, then add to hot water, again, about a 1/4 cup per pound of meat. Stir it for a few minutes to dissolve the bullion cubes. They don’t have to be 100% dissolved. In fact, some people skip this step. I just like to do it so the broth gets beefy right away, which seems to help all the spices get happy a whole lot quicker, which means a much happier pot roast. But, hey! That’s just me.

Now walk away. I know it’s hard, and it’s going to be even harder later on. But it’s important to not open the slow cooker too often or it will slow your cooking. I know; I have a hard time with this, too. But it can also be a little upsetting to the roast, which seems to prefer it’s privacy. And an upset roast is not a happy roast. So… STEP AWAY FROM THE SLOW COOKER!!

In about eight to ten hours (on low, it’s about two hours per pound of meat – give or take), your roast is going to be ready, and you’ll be about to go crazy. Stop it. You’re almost done so show some patience! You’ve only got a couple more things to do before you dive in.

For instance, you could make some biscuits to go with your roast. If you live anywhere in the South, it’s the law. Same in some other areas, so make some biscuits just to be safe, OK?

Finally, if you’re going to use peas, put them in for the last few minutes. Same with the mushrooms. Wash them to get rid of dirt, then pat dry. Slice them thick, so they’ll stand up to the carrots and potatoes and such. And seriously, put them in for the last few minutes ONLY, or they’ll release their juice and go all miniature on you – and that’s not Manly. At least, not in this recipe. (See below for more.)

When you’re ready to serve, remove the vegetables to a large bowl. Carefully – CAREFULLY!! – lift the roast out of the crock pot. I normally use a pair of large spatulas to do this. Put the roast in the middle of a large serving platter and slice (or break apart) the roast. Arrange the veggies all around, and take the whole thing to the table. With the biscuits.

Salad? If you must.

Notes:

I showed a range of amounts on many of the ingredients based on roast size. Obviously you won’t need as much of everything for a four pound roast as you would six pounds. Also, you may like fewer or more vegetables than your neighbor across the hall. Remember to take notes on this one so you can adjust next time, if needed.

Searing the roast before cooking seems to really add to the flavor. Many will tell you it also seals in more juiciness. I agree that it helps, but it’s not absolutely crucial. For example, if you’re preparing this on a work day, and you’re going to let it simmer all day, you might wake up late and be racing the clock to get to work on time. If this happens to you, turn the slow cooker on, throw in the roast, chop everything up and throw it in. Then add all the “flavor” stuff. Done. Get to work before you get fired. But if you have the time, searing the meat is a Very Good Thing.

Green vegetables are not a classic addition. But I feel better knowing I’m getting something green in my system, so I normally add at least some peas. But if I’ve gone to the store recently and picked up some green beans, these are awesome, too! Just don’t add broccoli, cauliflower or Brussels sprouts, all of which have very strong flavors that will overpower everything else. If you want any of these, do them separately as a side dish.

Speaking of side dishes, some people don’t cook anything with the roast, except perhaps some thinly sliced onions, which pretty much disappear during the cooking process. Everything else will be prepared as a side dish. Or they might serve the roast with mashed potatoes or noodles. (Yeah, I’ve done that.) I’d still add the water and soup, because I like gravy. Lots and LOTS of gravy. On the roast. On the potatoes. On the biscuits. On more biscuits in the morning, and on a pot roast sammich for lunch.

If you want to fancy the roast up a bit, you can substitute wine for the water, or go half and half on beef broth and wine. Some recipes use Chardonnay, which is a white wine. But I prefer a red wine, usually something of about medium to medium-full body. I’ve used Zinfandel (not White Zinfandel, mind you), Shiraz, Merlot, and Cabernet Souvignon with success. Remember, experimentation can be a lot of fun, but if you’re not fairly confident that it will turn out all right, save the science calls for nights when your’e not trying to really impress someone, OK?

One last thing: In the beginning I set a cold winter scene. Don’t wait for winter for this one, though. It will work just fine today. So have fun, and don’t forget:

Play with your food!

Lane

Did you like this recipe? What recipes would you like to learn? Leave me a comment and tell me your thoughts! (And don’t forget to LIKE this post!) Share it using the tiles below.

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