Years ago, cooking a roast in a crock pot meant placing a rump roast in the pot with potatoes, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper, and returning hours later to a simple meal ready to eat. The best part of this style of cooking was that the crock pot did all the work while you were off running errands or working 9 to 5. Upon returning to the kitchen, a wonderful aroma greeted you and your family. Your crock pot became a maid with an apron.
Cooking a roast in a crock pot has evolved to a whole new level of taste and adventure. The simple pot roast dish has now become quite exotic. But before diving into how to make these exotic versions, it’s a good idea to master the basic recipe of cooking a roast in a crock pot.
Basic Recipe for Cooking a Roast in a Crock Pot
Pot roast is truly one of the easiest meals to prepare. There are four simple steps:
- Cut vegetables into large chunks and cover the bottom of the crock pot with them.
- (Optional) Season and sear the meat.
- Place the seasoned meat on top of the vegetables.
- Add liquid. Cover the crock pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
Step 2 is optional. On days when you don’t have time to do anything except throw the vegetables, roast, herbs, and liquid into the crock pot, simply skip it. You’ll still get great flavor.
When you do decide to season and sear the meat, here’s how to brown it:
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Season the meat by sprinkling herbs and spices onto the meat or rubbing them into the meat.
- Brown the meat on all sides.
- Remove the meat. Now it’s ready for the crock pot.
Browning the meat helps seal in the rich flavor. While it’s not essential, it can enhance the taste. However, if you’re adding a lot of exotic, unexpected flavors, you might not need to brown the meat at all.
Turning Your Crock Pot Roast into an Exotic Dish
Now it’s time to get creative! How can you take a simple recipe and turn it into a masterpiece? There are only five steps.
- Consider the type of meat you’ll use for your roast. Almost any type of meat will work. Good choices include: pot roast, chuck roast, brisket, top round, rump roast, bottom round, and tri-tip.
- Select the overall flavor profile you want for the meal. Do you want it spicy, sweet, sour, or savory? Soy sauce, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice? Gingersnaps? Creole? Onion? After you decide on the flavor, collect your spices and create your seasoning mixture. Typically, you can use 1/2 teaspoon to one teaspoon of three or four spices to create your blend.
Here are some ideas:
- Spicy: chili seasonings, barbecue sauce, chipotle chili powder, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, Dijon mustard, curry powder, ginger
- Herbs: parsley, oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, coriander, onion powder, cumin
- Sweet: molasses, brown sugar, honey, dried cherries, figs, apple, dried prunes
- Tomato-based: salsa, ketchup
- Other flavors: Italian dressing, gingersnaps, Creole, bacon, taco seasoning, soy sauce, bourbon, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, onion soup mix, mushroom soup
Rub the herbs or seasoning mix into the meat.
- Select your vegetables. Some great options include: onions, garlic, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, diced tomatoes, turnip, rutabaga, sweet potatoes, yams, chili peppers, mushrooms, sauerkraut, porcini mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, green pepper, jalapeños, celery, and zucchini.
- Slice the vegetables into chunks. You’ll want to fill up the crock pot about halfway with the vegetables. Do that now.
- Now, place the meat on top of the vegetables. You’ll need some type of liquid to prevent the roast from burning. About 1-1/2 to 3 cups should suffice. The types of liquid you can use include: water, beef broth, tomato juice, even Coca-Cola and Dr. Pepper, burgundy wine, orange juice, tomato sauce, cider, coffee, barbecue sauce, cream of mushroom soup, or white wine.
Whatever liquid you choose should match your seasoning. For example, if you’re seasoning your roast with allspice, cinnamon, cloves, and molasses, cream of mushroom soup likely won’t be a good match. Neither will tomato juice. You may try orange juice, apple juice, or water, and throw in a handful of dried cherries or figs.
For another example, if your seasoning is Dijon mustard, oregano, basil, and garlic, the liquid could be Coca-Cola, burgundy wine, white wine, or water. You could dilute any of these liquids by mixing them 50/50 with water.
- Your last step is to cook the roast in the crock pot on low for at least the next 8 hours.
And that’s all there is to cooking a roast in a crock pot. Now go create the best-tasting roast you’ve ever had!
