Help with beef roast in crock pot

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
J

jcv

Assistant Cook
Joined
Feb 8, 2007
Messages
37
I have a 4lb boneless top round roast I was planning too cook on my big green egg tomorrow. Turns out I won't have time so I'd like to get it in the crock pot in the AM. I was thinking of seasoning the roast and searing with some oil in my dutch oven. Then I was going to get it into the crock pot by around 9am with some potatoes and onions and a little water. I will make gravy with the resulting juices. We want to eat at 5 - 5:30.

Does this sound like a good plan? Should I do it differently?

Whenever we cook this in the crock pot (the wife has a method) it is tasty but VERY dry. I'd love it to be nice and juicy like I keep reading about around here ;).

Any advice is really appreciated.

Thanks
Jay
 
Do you still have the owner's manual for your slow-cooker? There are tips in there that will help. I don't cover mine with water, but do add a bit of liquid, sometimes beef broth/stock. They say to put the potatoes/carrots on the bottom, then the beef on top, put it on low for all-day cooking or the veggies will be mush.
 
isn't there supposed to be a problem with lead and crock pots? I dumped my crock pot for a dutch oven.
 
Uncle Bob said:
Next time try a boneless Chuck Roast instead of the Top Round...This should solve the Dry problem.........

Enjoy!
Click to expand...

Pretty much. Round = worst piece of meat on the cow. I've had better luck with oxtail in braising techniques than Round.

PS: If you'd like to salvage the piece of meat you do have, I suggest scrapping the Crock Pot and doing the Good Eats method - foil wrap in a low oven with a very small amount of dense liquid (he used tomato juice on that episode) and strong seasonings.

The goal is to get the other stuff flavoring the meat. Crockpots usually just get the meat flavoring everything else, leaving the meat dry, flavorless, and generally unpalatable without a healthy dose of gravy made from (ironically) the pot liquor that remains...

If you must use a crockpot, and you must cover it completely, I suggest a mixture of beef broth and a good stout red wine.
 
Low and slow in a crock pot works for me, usually. I don't ever cover the meat with liquid, just enough to go about 1/3 to 1/2 up the roast.
I place a piece of foil in between the cover and the pot to keep steam from escaping. Like someone else suggested. place your veg's in the bottom, then the meat. The bay leaf , wine and stock make sense to me and will add flavor. Don't forget to salt and pepper the meat before you put it into the pot.
 
Thank you all for the replies.

Well, I cooked the roast yesterday. I cut up some red potatoes and carrots and put them in the crock along with some chopped garlic. I added a little olive oil, salt and pepper and mixed all around. I then seasoned my roast with this stuff my sister gave me:

Sonoma%20Rub.JPG


... it is sooooo good ;)

I put a little oil in my dutch oven and seared the roast on all sides at med/high heat then added to the crock on top of the veggies. I added 2 cans of beef broth at this time. I cooked it on low from 9:30am to 5:30pm. Well, it was very tasty and the veggies were awesome but it was VERY dry. Luckily I love gravy but I still want to have a pot roast in the crock pot that isn't dry.

I'll definitely try a chuck roast next time :)
 
Anything acidic added to the pot will break down the meat and make it more tender. I've used a jar of pepperoncinis or wine or a tomato product of some kind.Some people swear by a can of beer. Anything to break down that tough meat.
I agree with changing type of meat next time.
 
jcv said:
Well, it was very tasty and the veggies were awesome but it was VERY dry. Luckily I love gravy but I still want to have a pot roast in the crock pot that isn't dry.

I'll definitely try a chuck roast next time :)
Click to expand...

Nope. Chuck won't help you. It's a more flavorful cut, but it's not going to be any moister.

Best I can suggest, since you're insistent on using the old crock....

Layer 1/2 an inch of veggies on the bottom TIGHTLY. Put the roast on top, in the center. STUFF vegetables on all sides - like until you can't fit anything else between the meat and the sides of the crock.

THEN add only enough (preferably dense) liquid to cover. It will be significantly less liquid than you usually use. (say that three times fast)

Put a piece of foil on top of all this. Doesn't matter where it falls in relation to the cover, it could be 4 inches down, you want it right on top of the whole conglomeration, and make it big enough to pack it in tightly.

That should help the next roast be much more juicy.
 
MMM a can of beer would be good. A nice beer... Cracked Canoe from my birth province, New Brunswick. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I only wish I could get it here :(
 
jcv said:
I have a 4lb boneless top round roast I was planning too cook on my big green egg tomorrow. Turns out I won't have time so I'd like to get it in the crock pot in the AM. I was thinking of seasoning the roast and searing with some oil in my dutch oven. Then I was going to get it into the crock pot by around 9am with some potatoes and onions and a little water. I will make gravy with the resulting juices. We want to eat at 5 - 5:30.

Does this sound like a good plan? Should I do it differently?

Whenever we cook this in the crock pot (the wife has a method) it is tasty but VERY dry. I'd love it to be nice and juicy like I keep reading about around here ;).

Any advice is really appreciated.

Thanks
Jay
Click to expand...

This won't help you at this time.I'm late again!
The problem of a dry roast could also be caused by over cooking it. Time/temp,for the roast that you used.

To explain what I mean,I found a conversion chart for cooking times,temperatures,cuts of meats.For the crock pot only.You decide on what temp,and cooking time you need.

Slow-Cooker Conversion Chart: Easy How-To Cooking Tips & Advice: RecipeTips.com

For meats:
Slow Cooking Meat Recipes: Easy How-To Cooking Tips & Advice: RecipeTips.com


Using a meat thermometer probe really does help.I can be anywhere around the house,outside and still hear and know what temp the roast is at.Without lifting the crock pot lid,or opening the oven door.It's very versatile.The needle probe won't interfere with the lid or doors.It will still cook without steam and heat escaping.It times the perfect crock pot roast.

I'm one of those people that can't leave that lid on or alone..I always think it needs me.It doesn't.


AW131 Oregon Scientific Grill Right Wireless Talking BBQ and Oven Thermometer

Munky.
 
lots of vegetables, lots of moisture like beef broth, wine, or fruit juice will help but you may find if you cook it to long you will totally lose the texture. I would use a tougher cut of beef like a chuck to develop the flavor and preserve the texture.
 
I agree with Chef Munky, the problem is overcooking, not a shortage of liquid. You can consider a pot roast done when it reaches an internal temperature of about 190 F. More cooking beyond that will cause it to dry out.
 
well everyone... I'm about to have pot roast again. This time I used a 4lb chuck roast. I seasoned it with the sonoma and seared it in my dutch oven with some olive oil. I did the potatoes, carrots and garlic the same way. I put a bed of onions on the bottom of my dutch oven, placed the roast on top of that and put the veggies around the outside. I added one can of beef broth and put the covered dutch oven in a 300 degree oven. I'm taking it out and making gravy (2.5 hour mark) so I'll know soon how it's going to be. I checked it a little while ago and it looked and smelled great and the veggies were just about right.
 
we've had a great sale going on lately with chuck roasts, under $2/lb. I've been getting a few, stocking up the freezer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
Beef eye round in dutch oven
2
Replies
34
Views
5K
dragnlaw
dragnlaw
rodentraiser
Trying to thaw a beef roast
2
Replies
34
Views
2K
rodentraiser
rodentraiser
pepperhead212
Tip for those making yogurt in their Instant Pot
Replies
1
Views
755
msmofet
msmofet
pepperhead212
No-name Mexican dish, mostly made in Instant Pot.
Replies
0
Views
1K
pepperhead212
pepperhead212
taxlady
Does anyone have experience with any of the "Instant Pot" analogues?
Replies
17
Views
788
taxlady
taxlady

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom