Really quick potroast question, please?

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whatevergirl

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*Just a quick question…I’m making pot roast for dinner tonight, with carrots and potatoes. I want it to turn out like a quasi-stew, quasi pot roast, where the meat is melting in your mouth…you know what I mean?

So, I seared the roast just now on both sides, and according to the directions (I was going to do the crockpot but decided against it) the roast is to sit in liquid (which I used about 2 cups of beef broth, and 2 cups of water, not covering the entire meat) for about 3 hours. It’s a 3 lb roast…so I figured it might need the full 3 hours.

Here is my question…when the directions say low heat, does this mean like a simmer, or like a 4 or 5 on the stove ‘‘dial?’’ I have it on 4, because I can’t imagine this cooking through by 5:30 tonight. :confused: Directions don’t say one way or the other…don’t say ‘simmer,’ just say keep on low heat. Hubby is working today, otherwise I’d ask him.

What do you think?*
 
You are braising. That is low heat - if you have electric, it is so there is a little movement to the liquid, not a rolling boil - a true simmer.
 
*Okay, thanks kage. So, you’re saying to lower it to like a one or two which is simmer on my stove? That would cook it all the way through, that is hard to believe. lol Because it’s a thicker roast…a chuck roast. I didn’t get the classic kind, I like a little fat running through for flavor. Ok, gotta run downstairs and check it then! Will it be done by 5:30 or 6pm, since it’s been cooking now for about 30 minutes? (I seared it on both sides too for about 5 minutes)

Oh, when should I add the carrots and potatoes? Should I add it to the same pot I’m cooking the roast in, or use a different pot? I have always used the oven for roasts, so this is a little new for me. I use this method for cut up stew meat, but not a standing roast. :confused:*
 
Carrots take a bit longer to cook than taters (unless you have cut some big honking taters), so, the carrots go in about an hour and a half before you are done cooking the roast and the taters about an hour before.

Put veggies in from room temp, not directly from the fridge - you don’t want to bring the temp of the dish down too much.

Ignore what the dials on the stove SAY, just, look at what the liquid is doing 🙂 When it is moving a bit the temp is right. After that LEAVE THE LID ON unless you are adding veg.
 
You might want to add some cinnamon to the mix. It sounds a little odd, but it works with roast really well. I’ve cooked roast like you are doing, at a simmer, and they turn out great!
 
kage_ar said:
Carrots take a bit longer to cook than taters (unless you have cut some big honking taters), so, the carrots go in about an hour and a half before you are done cooking the roast and the taters about an hour before.

Put veggies in from room temp, not directly from the fridge - you don’t want to bring the temp of the dish down too much.

Ignore what the dials on the stove SAY, just, look at what the liquid is doing 🙂 When it is moving a bit the temp is right. After that LEAVE THE LID ON unless you are adding veg.
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Yup…what she said! 😉 You’d be surprised how well it will cook even on low. Keeping it covered makes the difference.

I like adding good black pepper and a couple dashes of Tabasco sauce (dh likes lots of flavor!)
 
*Oh no kage, it was boiling earlier…hopefully, it won’t harm the dish!

If we want to eat closer to 6pm, guess I should go down now and start putting the veggies in the same pot…thanks for the advice, everyone. Praying it turns out well. :gopray2: The last time I made stew, not sure what happened, but the meat was chewy…blah! 😊 This isn’t going to be quite like stew, but I can’t imagine this being chewy with simmering it for this long. *
 
dixieagle said:
Yup…what she said! 😉 You’d be surprised how well it will cook even on low. Keeping it covered makes the difference.

I like adding good black pepper and a couple dashes of Tabasco sauce (dh likes lots of flavor!)
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Hi dixie 👋 How funny you mention tabasco…we just bought a bottle today, as they were having a tasting thing at the grocery store, and it was delish, couldn’t pass up the coupon. lol:D
 
For a bit of heat/richness, I’d add a hit of worchestershire and leave the tobasco for table side 🙂

Chewneyness of roast can come if it cooks too fast or does not have enought fat content. Boiling roast makes it chewey - as long as you did not boil it til done, it should be fine.
 
whatevergirl said:
Hi dixie 👋 How funny you mention tabasco…we just bought a bottle today, as they were having a tasting thing at the grocery store, and it was delish, couldn’t pass up the coupon. lol:D
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For years, I couldn’t duplicate my dad’s wonderful roast beef gravy (oven-roast beef was our usual Sunday dinner when I was growing up.) I knew he made a roux, added water from the vegetables, celery salt, beef consommé, a bit of garlic powder…but I couldn’t get it exactly right. Only a few years ago did I find out that he always added about 5 drops of Tabasco! It wasn’t enough to make it taste “hot”, but enough to give it a bit of a kick. Mine is rarely as good as his, though; he just has the touch!
 
I use a rump roast in a McCormick pot roast bag that comes with seasoning. Put potatoes, carrots, onions and seasoning in bag with raw meat. Water can be used or substitute it with wine or beer. Cook as directed. I usually do it early, cook to done checking with meat thermometer, then leave it sit in oven so it gets very tender.

For sauerbrauten, do same as above using seasoning bag from Swiss-Knorr and instead of water, use a cup of vinegar. Serve with red cabbage and spitzel (sp?).
 
*Yay…my pot roast was yummy! 👍 It was a tad bit bland, but I think leftovers tomorrow will be even better because the liquid will have soaked in. Tender as anything, yay! Never know sometimes how these things will turn out. :o

aicirt…mccormick, hmmm…I will have to try that next time. I typically like to add my own seasonings, as I don’t like things too salty…does that seasoning pack have a lot of sodium? Thanks for the tip too about the beer…hmmm…hadn’t thought of that. :)*
 
*On another note…I have in the oven right now, an apple crisp, but with a twist. A healthy twist. Instead of lathering it with butter, I drizzled a few tablespoons of butter with canola over top…and bought this already prepared apple crisp mixture…it is made with wheat flour and granola, so it’s not as fattening. The apples, just sprinkled two teaspoons of sugar, and a little cinnamon. If it tastes half as good as it’s making the house smell…it will be a hit! I’m tired now, whew. Cooking all day it seems. :o

Thx for the cooking tips everyone. *
 
kage_ar said:
Ignore what the dials on the stove SAY, just, look at what the liquid is doing 🙂 When it is moving a bit the temp is right. After that LEAVE THE LID ON unless you are adding veg.
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👍👍
That is wonderful advice!! I have found that is the secret to cooking well. So many times, we can be too aware of “following the rules” in the cookbook, when what we need to do, is to see what the food is actually doing…especially since every range cooker is different from others. (Mine has a very slow oven; not calibrated wrong, just slow, and I have had to adjust to that).
 
Zooey said:
👍👍
That is wonderful advice!! I have found that is the secret to cooking well. So many times, we can be too aware of “following the rules” in the cookbook, when what we need to do, is to see what the food is actually doing…especially since every range cooker is different from others. (Mine has a very slow oven; not calibrated wrong, just slow, and I have had to adjust to that).
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*Yes, so true. I kind of need to know a general time though, because I have a bad habit of when I’m cooking, I walk out of the room and get busy doing something else…cleaning, talking on the phone…playing on here…😊 Then, dinner’s ruined. 🤷 I set a timer now to help at least get me back in the kitchen at regular intervals. 😃

I tell ya, peeling apples is TIME CONSUMING…delicious dessert though…it was worth it, but man, that was time consuming. *
 
whatevergirl said:
*On another note…I have in the oven right now, an apple crisp, but with a twist. A healthy twist. Instead of lathering it with butter, I drizzled a few tablespoons of butter with canola over top…and bought this already prepared apple crisp mixture…it is made with wheat flour and granola, so it’s not as fattening. The apples, just sprinkled two teaspoons of sugar, and a little cinnamon. If it tastes half as good as it’s making the house smell…it will be a hit! I’m tired now, whew. Cooking all day it seems. :o

Thx for the cooking tips everyone. *
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With a little low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt…Mmmmmm.

Sounds like a yummy fall-ish meal (even down in Florida!!!)
 
With regard to the butter, I’ve found that regular Smart Balance works just as well. Use the same measures as you would with the butter. I use it in my baking, and everything turns out fine. Especially my bananananana date nut bread 😛

DaveBj
 
whatevergirl said:
*Yay…my pot roast was yummy! 👍 It was a tad bit bland, but I think leftovers tomorrow will be even better because the liquid will have soaked in. Tender as anything, yay! Never know sometimes how these things will turn out. :o

aicirt…mccormick, hmmm…I will have to try that next time. I typically like to add my own seasonings, as I don’t like things too salty…does that seasoning pack have a lot of sodium? Thanks for the tip too about the beer…hmmm…hadn’t thought of that. :)*
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I don’t use salt when cooking. We haven’t found the package seasonings too salty. The package says 400mg of sodium equal to 17% daily value. The whole dinner cooks in the bag in the oven for about two hours. But I go by the meat thermometer and let it sit after I turn oven off. I like the meat to fall apart and juicy.

Other liquids give extra taste to the dish. If possible, keep veg. water (when you’ve boiled potatoes or carrots etc.) and use it for gravies. I used beet water and liquid from canned yams for turkey gravy…what a difference.

Love to have your recipe for that apple dish.
 
thanks for the apple tip I need to use some up

so have you figured out how to post leftovers here?
 
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