1st time crock pot pot roast and it was a bust..

Please tell me what you think went wrong.

I browned a 4 pound bottom round roast that I seasoned with salt, pepper(on sale for $4.99 a pound) placed it on top of half cut potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots. I mixed water and two packets of dry onion soup mix and poured it into the pot.

I set it on low for 7 hours and the smell was amazing and the vegetables were perfect but the roast wasn't thatmoist but dry kind of like the taste of plain tuna fish. As I was cutting some pieced would crumble off because of how dry it was. I was expecting a medium rare/medium look of a roast beef and it wasn't.

What do you think caused this, cheap roast or wrong type of roast? The recipe called for low at min. 7 hours of cooking. I was surprised that it wasn't a pink color but maybe roasts don't turn out pink in a crock pot? I would appreciate some tips because I would like to try this again. The smell was again amazing and I did turn the leftover juice into homemade gravy which helped when we were eating it. DH liked it but I know he was super hungry tonight and maybe just trying to be nice. I personally wasn't thrilled with the meat.

Message edited 10/27/2014 8:28:09 PM.

1st time crock pot pot roast and it was a bust..

I just think it's the cut of the meat. I honestly think there isn't enough fat in a bottom round roast, and it has really tough membranes that make it hard to cook. Don't be so hard on yourself!

I use chuck roast or brisket.

Re: 1st time crock pot pot roast and it was a bust..

i'll be honest, everything i cook in the crock pot comes out that way. I know a lot of people have amazing success with their crockpots (and I do use it for some soups, chili and ribs) but for me and my family we always wind up with the same dry pulled porky kind of texture.

Signed,
Not a crockpot fan

P.S. However, I continually cook my corned beef in it every St. Patricks day and it comes out great

1st time crock pot pot roast and it was a bust..

Yes to both pp. we are not huge fans of the crock pot. We hate chicken in it unless it's thighs b/c they are fatty. We have luck with pulled pork. Not much with beef.

Not huge crock pot people here

Re: 1st time crock pot pot roast and it was a bust..

I just feel.like you can't get rare or medium meat in the crockpot. It always comes out well and falling apart like pulled pork

Re: 1st time crock pot pot roast and it was a bust..

The crock pot will always give you that fall apart well done meat. I like my meat medium rare but use the crock pot for certain things I just know what to expect. If you want a fool proof recipe for roast beef feel free to PM me. But it is probably not good for a weeknight dinner.

Re: 1st time crock pot pot roast and it was a bust..

Agree with PPs you prob didnt do anything wrong thats just how crockpot meat turns out. I use it a couple of times every coue of months but am selective in what i cook in it. I used to end up throwing so much food out.

I prefer to cook 2-3 meals on sundays or later at night and just heat up for dinner after work/school.

Re: 1st time crock pot pot roast and it was a bust..

Ok, since I prefer meats to not be overcooked I'll probably stick to soups, lasagna and chicken dishes in the crockpot although I've made beef stew quite a few times and I love how that comes out. Maybe it's a different cut of meat. I am going to try a chuck roast if I find one.

1st time crock pot pot roast and it was a bust..

To me pot roast and roast beef are two very different things. Like others said you won't get a nice medium rare roast beef in the crockpot. I think you want something like an eye or round for roast beef although I've given up on making it bc mine always comes out too well done. For pot roast I always use a chuck roast. It should comes up falling apart but if it was dry I'd guess maybe there wasn't enough liquid.

I saved this thread years ago on how to make roast beef but there were so many different techniques I still didn't know which to try so I just gave up! http://www.lifamilies.com/chat/topic-655034-1.html

Re: 1st time crock pot pot roast and it was a bust..

Re: 1st time crock pot pot roast and it was a bust..

A pot roast (chuck roast) needs to be braised slow and low to come out tender. It should fall apart when done. I follow a recipe from Cooks Illustrated that braises it in the oven for a few hours. Comes out tender and delicious.

A roast beef (eye round) is lean and should be roasted in the oven.

Re: 1st time crock pot pot roast and it was a bust..

Re: 1st time crock pot pot roast and it was a bust..

Message edited 10/28/2014 3:44:55 PM.

Re: 1st time crock pot pot roast and it was a bust..

I wish mine came out like that 1st pic but it looked like an overdone version of the 2nd pic. The package I bought I remember it saying bottom round roast, it wasn't fatty at all.

So to get that first pic I should buy a chuck roast? Was your recipe done in the oven or crockpot?

Re: 1st time crock pot pot roast and it was a bust..

1st time crock pot pot roast and it was a bust..

In my crockpot, 7 hours would overcook it. Every crock pot is different, some cook faster than others.

1st time crock pot pot roast and it was a bust..

Yeah I'd never make a juicy roast in a crockppot. 20 mins per pound for a perfecct medium if it's a big roast but....
the crockpot is just a slow braiser. You're cooking in liquid, not roasting. So it's great for chilis, stews, pot roast, short ribs, ribs... not dry stuff.

Re: 1st time crock pot pot roast and it was a bust..

Thanks! I was hesitant when I bought it for the crock pot. I wasn't sure it was the right cut. Thanks everyone. I still love my crock pot

Re: 1st time crock pot pot roast and it was a bust..

This is the stovetop/oven recipe I follow from Cooks Illustrated. It is so good.
I serve with boiled potatoes or wide egg noodles and sometimes thicken the gravy just a little bit.
Leftovers freeze really well.

1 boneless chuck roast (about 3 1/2 lbs)
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
1 small celery rib, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup canned low sodium beef broth
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 -1 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup dry red wine
(I add quartered mushrooms before adding the garlic and sugar and a touch of tomato paste, frozen or canned peas at the end)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300°F.
Thoroughly pat roast dry with paper towels; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering but not smoking.
Brown roast thoroughly on all sides, reducing heat if fat begins to smoke, 8- 10 minutes.
Transfer roast to a large plate; set aside.
Reduce heat to medium; add onion, carrot, and celery to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 6- 8 minutes.
Add garlic and sugar; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add chicken and beef broths and thyme, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits.
Return roast and any accumulated juices to pot; add enough water to come halfway up sides of roast.
Bring liquid to simmer over medium heat, then cover tightly and transfer pot to oven.
Cook, turning roast every 30 minutes until fully tender and meat fork slips in and out of meat very easily (3 1/2- 4 hours).
Transfer roast to carving board, tent with foil to keep warm.
Allow liquid in pot to settle about 5 minutes, then use wide spoon to skim fat off surface; discard thyme sprig.
Boil over high heat until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, about 8 minutes.
Add red wine and reduce again to 1 1/2 cups, about 2 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cut meat into 1/2 inch slices, or pull apart in pieces; transfer meat to warmed serving platter and pour about 1/2 cup sauce over meat.
Serve, passing remaining sauce.

Message edited 10/29/2014 3:03:56 PM.

1st time crock pot pot roast and it was a bust..

I did not have a good experience cooking pot roast in the crockpot.