Saturday, January 12, 2013

Pot Roast is not my Friend

I tried again today, not that I've been horribly unsuccessful with crock pot roast before. But that last one that we couldn't eat was so tender and juicy and the one I made today was like leather. I don't think I should cook, ever. Of course my husband didn't even eat any. He picked up tacos about three hours before the roast was done. Now he's lying on the living room floor sound asleep. Super dry pot roast is not on his agenda. Now I've got a ton of leftovers to eat all on my own.

Needless to say, it's going to be a long time before I make pot roast again.

Average daily spending for the year so far: $11.78

Today's lovely: 55 degree day in January... WHAT!?!?! My boy and I went for a little walk. It was SOOOOO wonderful just being outdoors.

4 comments:

  1. If your pot roast is not terribly overcooked, just tough because of the cut of meat, try cutting it into large chunks (or leaving whole if it's a smaller roast) and simmering it, covered in bbq sauce or a can of manwich. Then when it gets tender, use two forks to shred it and use it to make sandwiches or top baked potatoes.

    To make a tender pot roast, here is what I do. Take a tough cut of beef, and sear all sides in a little oil over very high heat (in a dutch oven if you have one). When it is brown on all sides, remove it to a plate. Fry some onions in the oil if you like (totally optional), then add a half cup or so of liquid (beef broth, red wine, or just water) to the hot pan, and scrape up all the bits off the bottom. If you have done this in a dutch oven that can transfer to the oven, put the meat back in. If not, put the meat, onions if you used them, and juice from the pot into an oven safe dish. Add water or beef broth to about halfway up the meat. Put the lid on the dutch oven or dish, or cover tightly with foil. Bake at 300 degrees for 3.5-5 hours (depending on size of roast), turning every half hour or so, until the meat is really tender, and almost falls apart when you go to turn it. Throw some russet potatoes in the oven for the last 1-1 1/2 hours of cooking for a great side dish.

    I realize that this takes a long time, so is something you would probably only be able to do on a weekend, but low temp and long cooking time is about the only way to make a cheap cut of beef nice and tender (unless you have a pressure cooker) because it takes a lot of time to dissolve the connective tissue.

    Sorry for long comment, but I hope it helps make your next pot roast awesome.

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  2. I have an incredibly easy pot roast recipe from pinterest. Put roast in crock pot, sprinkle on a packet of dry au jus gravy mix and one packet of dry hidden valley ranch dressing mix. Put a stick of unsalted butter on top. Cover and cook for 6 hours on low. Meat falls apart and is so tasty.

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  3. I've never made my own pot roast. James said he doesn't like it.
    Good for you for attempting it!

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  4. I don't even know what pot roast is :)). I agree, good for you for trying!
    Ieva

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