Pot roast is one of those dishes that requires very little effort but gives you a big return! In our house, it’s always a favorite. Whenever I ask my daughter what she wants me to cook for a birthday dinner or special occasion, it’s always one of these tangy and tender pot roasts.
What is Pot Roast?
Are you new to cooking pot roast? Pot roast isn’t a specific recipe or cut of meat. It’s a cooking method: take a big cut of tough beef, cover it and slow cook it until it’s meltingly tender.
There are the three cuts of meat that make a good pot roast:
Chuck: From the front portion of the animal; look for chuck roast, boneless chuck roast, or chuck shoulder pot roast
Brisket: From the breast or lower chest with long strands of meat. Brisket is best sliced against the grain of the meat for maximum tenderness.
Round: From the rear leg area of the animal. Look for rump roast or bottom round.
Two Yummy Pot Roast Recipes
Here are two of my favorite pot roast recipes. Both taste very similar but one is a chuck roast recipe and one is made with a brisket. Both of these make enough to feed a crowd and are perfect for a Sunday dinner or entertaining.
Sweet and Sour Chuck Roast
I inherited this recipe from my aunt. It’s super easy to make and uses mostly store-bought ingredients. I try to buy healthier versions of the ketchup, chili sauce and soup mix at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s.
You can also make your own version of the soup mix by mixing together 1½ cups dried minced onion, 2/3 cup beef bouillon powder, 2½ tablespoons onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon crushed celery seed and 1/2 teaspoon sugar.
1 5-pound pot roast
1 package onion soup mix
1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
3 dashes Tabasco sauce
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cloves garlic
Juice of 3 lemons
1 bottle ketchup
1 bottle sweet chili sauce
To prepare:
Cover the roast with the soup mix. Wrap in foil, place in an uncovered casserole dish and cook 10-12 hours (or until tender) at 225 degrees (you can also make it — without the foil — in a slow cooker on low). About a 1/2 hour before serving, remove the foil and place back in the dish. Mix the other ingredients together and pour the sauce over the roast. Return to oven and cook for 30-60 minutes. Shred the meat by using two forks (or slice) and serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
Tangy Brisket
This recipe is from Smitten Kitchen‘s Deb Perelman. I have to admit, I decided to first try this recipe because it just looked so mouthwatering! It uses a few less store-bought ingredients than the one above and is a little more time intensive but yields basically the same results (my family could not distinguish between the two roasts).
One note, her recipe calls for an 8-10 pound brisket. My slow cooker is too small for a cut that big so I make this with a 3-5 pound cut of meat.
3 large onions, sliced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (adjust to your heat preference)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups beef stock (unsalted or low salt)
1 cup ketchup
1 cup sweet chili sauce
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
8 to 10 pound brisket (I usually use of 3-5 pound brisket so it will fit in my crock pot)
Prepare the sauce:
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and sauté onions in vegetable oil, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and most of liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add halved garlic cloves and saute for 3 minutes more. Stir in spices and seasoning (paprika, salt, garlic and onion powders, black pepper, cayenne, oregano and thyme) and cook for 2 minutes. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together the beef stock, ketchup, chili sauce and brown sugar. Don’t worry if your brown sugar is lumpy (mine always is), the acidity of the ingredients will quickly break it down.
If baking in oven:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place brisket in a baking dish or casserole, spread onion mixture over the top, then pour sauce mixture over the entire dish. Cover tightly with foil bake until very tender but not falling apart, about 3 to 4 hours.
If making in a slow cooker (which I highly, highly recommend):
Place brisket in a slow cooker, spread onion mixture over the top, then pour sauce mixture over the entire dish. Cover with the lid and cook it on LOW for 10-12 hours. (I like to start it before I go to bed, and process it in the morning to rest over the course of the day in the fridge.)
For both methods, rest the dish:
When the brisket is cooked but still hot, use a spoon to scrape off any large fat deposits adhered to the top and bottom of the brisket. (This part is easiest to do when hot. The sauce will be de-fatted after it has chilled.)
If you’re using a slow cooker, transfer the brisket and all of its sauce to a baking dish. If you’ve baked it in the oven, you can continue in that same dish.
Chill entire dish in the fridge for several hours and up to one day; this resting time will significantly enhance the flavor and texture of the meat.
An hour before you’re ready to serve it:
Preheat your oven to 300°F, and remove the dish from the fridge. Remove all of the fat that has solidified with a slotted spoon for a less oily finish.
Carefully remove the meat from its sauce and place on a large cutting board. Cut the brisket into 1/2-inch slices.
If you like a smoother sauce this is a good time to run it through a blender or literally just smash up the onion and garlic strands with a wooden spoon. They’ll be so soft, that’s all it takes.
Carefully place the sliced meat (moving it in large sections with a spatula helps keep it together) back into the sauce and spoon the sauce over the meat. Replace the lid or cover the dish tightly with foil and reheat in the oven until it is bubbling at the edges — this usually takes up to to 30 minutes.