SpanishCastleAle
Well-Known Member
One of the bestest comfort foods evar. Was one of my favorite things mom used to cook. And since everybody has a 1/2 steer in their freezer now , let's talk pot roast.
I made probably my best one over the weekend. I finally realized that my crock pot was just too hot even on the lowest setting. This time I seasoned the 3# boneless chuck roast with kosher salt, browned the chuck roast and then lightly seasoned it Lawry's Seasoned Salt. In the crock pot I put 1 pkg. baby carrots, 2 stalks celery in chunks, 1/2 med onion in large chunks, 1/4 cup water, 1 tsp. beef base, 1/4 tsp. white pepper, and a few shakes Worcestershire. Then I placed the browned/seasoned chuck roast on top. I let it go on LOW for 6 hours...turned it OFF for 2 hours...then back ON (low) for 3 hours...then OFF for 1 hour. It was as perfect as I've made it.
I also decided that I prefer cooking the potatos (small red/creamers) seperately.
Why is it better the next day? I have heard that at least part of it is because when we slow cook something we break down the collagen in the meat. The collagen breaks down to gelatin. And things are kind of mushy at that point. But if we cool it and let that gelatin set...then it takes more heat to get it mushy again than it took to break down the collagen in the first place. So the meat stays fork-tender but yet is less mushy than it was when first cooked. Sounds plausible I guess...but when I eat leftover pot roast I never think; "This is better because it's less mushy than it was a day ago". It's just better.
Some folks eat pot roast as a stew (in a bowl with lots of the liquid) while others eat it pretty much dry...probably lots of variations. I like it more like a stew...I want at least some of that wonderful liquid.
Also, if you buy the chuck roast bone-in...allegedly you want a roast with longest blade bone as possible. Or so says Alton Brown. The roast with the longest blade bone is from the 'good end' of the chuck/shoulder primal. I just get the boneless...which is prob from the 'bad end' of the primal but whatever.
Who loves pot roast?:rockin:
I made probably my best one over the weekend. I finally realized that my crock pot was just too hot even on the lowest setting. This time I seasoned the 3# boneless chuck roast with kosher salt, browned the chuck roast and then lightly seasoned it Lawry's Seasoned Salt. In the crock pot I put 1 pkg. baby carrots, 2 stalks celery in chunks, 1/2 med onion in large chunks, 1/4 cup water, 1 tsp. beef base, 1/4 tsp. white pepper, and a few shakes Worcestershire. Then I placed the browned/seasoned chuck roast on top. I let it go on LOW for 6 hours...turned it OFF for 2 hours...then back ON (low) for 3 hours...then OFF for 1 hour. It was as perfect as I've made it.
I also decided that I prefer cooking the potatos (small red/creamers) seperately.
Why is it better the next day? I have heard that at least part of it is because when we slow cook something we break down the collagen in the meat. The collagen breaks down to gelatin. And things are kind of mushy at that point. But if we cool it and let that gelatin set...then it takes more heat to get it mushy again than it took to break down the collagen in the first place. So the meat stays fork-tender but yet is less mushy than it was when first cooked. Sounds plausible I guess...but when I eat leftover pot roast I never think; "This is better because it's less mushy than it was a day ago". It's just better.
Some folks eat pot roast as a stew (in a bowl with lots of the liquid) while others eat it pretty much dry...probably lots of variations. I like it more like a stew...I want at least some of that wonderful liquid.
Also, if you buy the chuck roast bone-in...allegedly you want a roast with longest blade bone as possible. Or so says Alton Brown. The roast with the longest blade bone is from the 'good end' of the chuck/shoulder primal. I just get the boneless...which is prob from the 'bad end' of the primal but whatever.
Who loves pot roast?:rockin: