Help with Pot Roast- dinner is in 3 hours!

[zzmmmommy]

I made a pot roast for a family dinner tonight and it isn't coming out right - this is my first time and a friend gave me the recipe.
Onions, carrots, celery, roast, a few dashes of Worcestershire (totally spelled wrong) sauce, and a little beef broth.
The roast has been in the crock pot for about 6 hours and it still isn't tender - it is completely tough and the carrots don't taste so good. There is no flavor in it. Can I rescue this or is it too late? Please help, dinner is in 3 hours!

 

[Dawgluver]

Is it on low or high? What cut of beef? You could cut it into chunks, turn up the heat, add a couple bay leaves and some salt and pepper, maybe some Rotel or tomato paste, perhaps a beef boullion cube or some dry onion soup mix.

 

[4meandthem]

Turn up the heat and add some salt and pepper.

 

[zzmmmommy]

It is on low, I just added some salt and a drop of pepper. Hopefully this will help. Should I put it on high for the last 2 hours?

 

[Andy M.]

It is on low, I just added some salt and a drop of pepper. Hopefully this will help. Should I put it on high for the last 2 hours?

Yes. High.

 

[zzmmmommy]

Ok- thanks. I just changed it. I was looking to see if I had any onion soup mix to add some seasoning but I don't have any. The carrots just taste so bland to me.

 

[jennyema]

If you didn't brown your meat first do it next time. That's where all the flavor comes from.

If possible get it out of the crockpot and into something with a tight lid that can go into the oven. Cook it on 300.

 

[jennyema]

Add a little soy sauce if you have some.

 

[Dawgluver]

Ok- thanks. I just changed it. I was looking to see if I had any onion soup mix to add some seasoning but I don't have any. The carrots just taste so bland to me.

Sometimes we get carrots that have little or no flavor. Not your fault.

 

[kadesma]

It is on low, I just added some salt and a drop of pepper. Hopefully this will help. Should I put it on high for the last 2 hours?

I'd add some sautedd garlkc and a touch of butter when it's about done. I'd cut the meat into good sized pieces and put that crock pot on high for the last 2 hrs. A little wine might also help a touch more pepper and some fresh parsley in there along with some tomato paste or even frsh diced. Good luck and I hope your meal is great.
kadesma

 

[kadesma]

Ok- thanks. I just changed it. I was looking to see if I had any onion soup mix to add some seasoning but I don't have any. The carrots just taste so bland to me.

Take the carrots out and add some melted butter and a little brown sugar to them, I'd give them a quick mash then eat and enjoy. If possible some mashed potatoes would be nice.
kadesma

 

[Oldvine]

I think I would move it to the oven and add some heat.

 

[Zhizara]

I had been using those small carrots that are already peeled, but I noticed they took a long time to cook and didn't have much flavor.

I switched back to using regular size carrots and like the flavor much better. I'll gladly peel carrots for better flavor.

 

[Dawgluver]

I agree. Sometimes those baby carrots are just blah.

 

[Addie]

I had been using those small carrots that are already peeled, but I noticed they took a long time to cook and didn't have much flavor.

I switched back to using regular size carrots and like the flavor much better. I'll gladly peel carrots for better flavor.

Same here. I don't understand why folks even buy them. All I had to do was taste just one raw many years ago. Big YUK.

I used to keep a small jar filled with salted ice water along with celery and carrot sticks for my kids and kept it right in front of the fridge. It was the first thing they saw when they went looking for a snack. Then one day my son thinking he was going to save time, bought those small ones. Tossed the ones he didn't cook in the garbage. Like he said, "Ma, they didin't taste like they did when I was a kid."

I vaguely remember reading a long time ago that those carrots were treated with a chemical to keep them fresh looking.

I personally love the prep work of veggies. There is something soothing in handling food from the earth.

 

[msmofet]

Same here. I don't understand why folks even buy them. All I had to do was taste just one raw many years ago. Big YUK.

I used to keep a small jar filled with salted ice water along with celery and carrot sticks for my kids and kept it right in front of the fridge. It was the first thing they saw when they went looking for a snack. Then one day my son thinking he was going to save time, bought those small ones. Tossed the ones he didn't cook in the garbage. Like he said, "Ma, they didin't taste like they did when I was a kid."

I vaguely remember reading a long time ago that those carrots were treated with a chemical to keep them fresh looking.

I personally love the prep work of veggies. There is something soothing in handling food from the earth.

Salted ice water?

 

[Addie]

Salted ice water?

Yeah. Do you put salt on celery when you are eating it raw? My kids always did and I got sick of the salt all over the floor. (a pet peeve) So I would salt the water. It penetrates the celery and carrots sticks. Not a lot of salt. Just enough to know it was salted water. The sticks never lasted long enough for the sticks to become too salty. I made a jar of it every day with fresh water. The first place kids go to for a snack is the fridge. So I kept it right in front and that was what they reached for every time. It sure saved time on how long they stood there with the fridge door open while they looked.

 

[lyndalou]

Sounds like you have been checking the pot fairly frequently. Every time you lift the lid, you are losing temperature in the pot. I would trust the crock pot to do it's job, and leave it for the required time. I often lay a sheet of foil over the pot and then put the lid on.

 

[CraigC]

Use a stove top or oven method and you won't run imto this issue. Add your vegis in a timely fashion so they are "done" and not mush.

 

[msmofet]

I hope your dinner turned out wonderful.



I always do my pot roast on top of the stove. It is fall apart tender in about 3 - 4 hours. Brown first then simmer/braise.

I thicken the jus with a roux. I cook my veggies seperately. The only time I cook veggies with the meat is when I make stew.

Here are some pictures.
Dinner was Pot roast (I sliced some and shredded some).

Sides were mashed potatoes with butter, sour cream and chives, frozen spinach and slightly thickened mushroom and onion jus.