My dad made a good pot roast. I got the urge to make one, so I tried to duplicate what he did as well as I can remember. I put a slab o’ corpse in a pan (the pan is really too small, but it’s all I have – it’s the oblong metal one from my slow cooker) and dumped a packet of Lipton’s Onion Soup Mix on it. Then I poured on a can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup, and two cans of button mushrooms. I added three large potatoes, pealed and cut into eighths, five or sic carrots, a yellow onion, and a green bell pepper. I put the cover on (man, it’s really a tight fit with all that stuff!) and put it in a 375°F oven.
My copy of Joy of Cooking sez to cook a pot roast anywhere from 90 minutes to 4 hours, depending on the cut. (Though I’ve roasted brisket for as long as 8 or 10 hours at 225F.) I’d leave it for a couple of hours and then start checking it every half hour or so.
375 seems a mite high to me–you may want to consider going the low-and-slow method.
I always do pot roasts on the stove. Heat your pot on high, season the roast with S+P, sear it on all sides, cover it with a sliced onion, turn down to simmer, simmer about 4 hours. Add cut up carrots and potatos for the final hour (mushrooms too, if you want.) I’m not a fan of cream soup pot roasts, so I leave that out. After 4 hours, remove the hunk o’ meat and cut it into chunks, remove the veggies with a slotted spoon and thicken the broth that’s left with a little flour and water. Bring to a boil, whisking vigorously, then return meat and veggies to pot, stir and serve. Viola’! 1 pot roast.
Like Weirddave, I do pot roast on the stove. Some as above, sear with s&p. Then, dump in one bottle of dark beer (not ale, it gets too bitter) and one can of crushed tomatoes in juice. Toss in herbs of choice along with a ton of garlic, some onion and some potatoes. I like to use purple Peruvian potatoes because they hold their shape longer. Boil, turn down to a simmer, and cover. After a couple of hours, toss in more veggies.
I’ve already let this go for 7 hours (on very low heat) and it was to die perfect.
I sear the roast in a heavy pan on the stove (all sides), then place the roast in a roasting pan along with a cup or so of beef . Roast in the oven at 325, check the temp of the roast for done.nesses)
I do mine in the crock pot, the lazy cook’s way. Add roast to crock pot, add a cup of water and then add soup mix or salt and pepper. Put the crock pot on low, leave it for 8-10 hours. About 4 hours before I want to eat I add the vegetables. The meat is falling apart by the time it is done, and even cheap roasts are very tender.
According to Gracie Allen, you cook a large roast suitable for serving 5 or 6 people in the oven with a smaller roast only big enough for 2 people (separate pan). When smoke starts coming from the kitchen, that means the little roast is burning, so the big one must be done.*
–SSgtBaloo
I saw that on a rebroadcast of the old George Burns & Gracie Allen show. I was really surprised that they did not find a way to tie Carnation Evaporated Milk in with the pot roast recipe.
Like the other posters, I do my pot roast on the stovetop: Sear the meat, then cook it over low, slow heat until done. Personally, I prefer chuck to brisket for pot roasting/stewing. Look for a well-marbled piece of meat – you do not want a chunk that is too lean. It will lack flavor.
Chuck is good because it has a lot of connective tissue and collegen. As the chuck cooks over slow heat, the collagen breaks down, adds flavor to the meat, and the meat becomes buttery soft. Brisket and shank will act similarly, but I feel that the texture and flavor of the chuck is better.
Regardless, all these cuts require slow, moist cooking for best results. Do not try dry roasting them, as you’ll end up with a hard, inedible piece of cow. With the pot roast, if you insist on doing it in the oven, I’d pick a temperature of 300, 325 tops. But a lower heat and longer cooking time would serve you well. After two or three hours, give the meat a taste. If it’s tough, keep cooking. It should not have too much bite to it. I find that it takes about 3-4 hours for the pot roast to reach a doneness of my liking. It’s like the opposite of the rules for steak. Less time = tougher meat. More time = tenderness & flavor.
Also, I’d hold off on adding the potatoes until the last 30-45 minutes of my cooking time, as it tends to break down in the liquid over the course of 4 hours. Then again, if it doesn’t bug you, feel free to dump it in in the beginning.
I sampled it after 2½ hours. The meat wasn’t tough, but it didn’t quite cut with a fork either. Close, though. I left it out on the stove, covered, for about another half hour while I watched the rest of a movie; and then I stuck it in the fridge. (Leftovers = Bachelour Kibble)
It tastes pretty close to dad’s, so I must have remembered right.
