Help with Beef Roast Please...

Updated on November 21, 2009
K.H. asks from Spring Hill, KS
32 answers

Hi Moms! I know this isn't a super serious request but I do need help. I'm looking for an easy way to prepare a beef roast. I consider myself an pretty good cook but no matter what I do I can't seem to make a good roast. Maybe it's the cut of meat or what I do but I've all but given up. So, I'm open for any advice. Crockpot or oven - I'll try anything. Thanks in advance and bon appetite!!

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So What Happened?

Dear Moms,
You are all so AWESOME! Thank you so much for taking the time to share all of your recipes and ideas with me. Will be making roast in the crockpot on Sunday and I'm SURE my husband will be pleasantly suprised!!

Thanks again!!!

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S.B.

answers from Kansas City on

the easiest way I know is to get a roast, put it in the crock pot with whatever veggies you want (I usually do cut up potatoes and baby carrots. I usually put the roast on top of the potatoes, but you dont have to. Then I put water in to at least cover the potatoes, usually a little more, then top with lipton's onion soup mix and leave it on low all day. Its great when I get home from work. Good luck!

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G.R.

answers from St. Louis on

I always use a crockpot and place a beef boullion in along with it. The seasonings I use is season salt/meat tenderizer sometime onion and garlic salt/powder.

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A.K.

answers from Wichita on

I braise the roast on both sides and then toss it in the crockpot with a package of onion soup mix, carrots and green beans with just enough water to cover it. Comes out great every time.

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H.S.

answers from Kansas City on

K.,

It really could be the meat itself, but I can understand on trying to get a good roast. This receipe goes over very well in our house and is super simple. Even my 2 year old will eat a lot when we have it!

Crock pot (which I love)

Roast
1 packet ranch dressing mix (powdered)
1 packet brown gravy mix (powdered)
1 packet french onion soup mix (powdered)
1/2 cup water

Put roast in an dpoor all 3 packets over the top. Add water and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high for 4.

Goo dluck and hope you enjoy it!

1 mom found this helpful
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S.H.

answers from Wichita on

Hi, K.
I gave up trying to cook a roast in a pan or in the oven years ago. The cuts of meat are just not what they used to be, and they all turn out really bad. Lately, I have started buying the Tyson Roast Beef kits. It's a roast, more than enough for 4 with leftovers, and it already has all of the veggies (potaotes, onions, celery and carrots). All you have to do is put the meat in the crock-pot, add the veggies that are already cleaned and cut up, pour ina cup of water (skip the enclosed seasoning, it's a little weird) and cook on low for 10 hours. It comes out perfect everytime, and is one of the best roasts I've ever eaten. You can find the Tyson kits at Wal-mart for about 12$

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J.K.

answers from Mansfield on

I always get the huge potroast. I do not brown the meat (which cookbooks suggest) but do rub it in some seasoning (whatever smells good at the time.. but sometimes just salt and pepper) you can also get pot roast seasoning in the seasoning section of the grocery story.
I have made roast both in the crock pot and oven but anytime i use the oven I use those roaster bags (some come with seasoning). Also I always use beef broth or beef stock (whichever was cheaper...don't really notice much difference)! It helps keep the meat tender and moist no matter who you cook it or what you put with it. And makes the veggies very beefy favor. In the crock pot I throw in potatoes, onion, carrots, sometimes green beans,sometimes garlic, whatever sounds good that day. Note:if you use greenbeans do not put them in until about 1 hour or 2 before serving or you will have greenmush!
Cook in crockpot all day.. or follow instructions on roaster bag for time in the oven. Then enjoy!
Hope this helps:)

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K.C.

answers from Kansas City on

I like to make French Dip sandwiches, I'm not sure if that's the sort of recipe you'd be interested in, but they turn out great.

In crock pot:
One roast
One can beef broth
one can/bottle beer
one can french onion soup

Cook all day, slice, put on rolls and use broth as dipping sauce. mmm...
now I want some!

1 mom found this helpful
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K.B.

answers from Kansas City on

I prefer the roast that is shaped like a loaf-not the flat one, I think it's called a rump roast.

I sear the edges by placing it in a very hot skillet and brown the sides. Then I put it in a crockpot with cold water, whole onion, potatoes, carrots, and add lipton soup mix.

Cook away during the last hour, I take cornstarch and water and mix well and add it to the roast this will thicken the liquid and makes a gravy.

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K.K.

answers from St. Louis on

Here is what I do and they always taste GREAT! I buy different cuts, but my mom swears by RUMP - I think!

I put the roast in a oven proof pan, cover it with garlic salt and pepper, then flip it over and do the same - then I place 3 Bay Leaves on top of it. I put it in the preheated oven at 350 degrees and cook it. I think it's around an hour - I check it at 30 minutes and then adjust from there because I am always parinoid of overcooking it. Remove the bay leaves before serving it. (I don't make the garlic salt and pepper thick - just cover it)

I use the same exact receipe when I make it in the crockpot! Just put it on low and let it cook all day.

I hope you find this as easy and yummy as we do! :)

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A.L.

answers from St. Louis on

crock pot. brown the roast a little. then put onions, potatoes, carrotts in first then roast. and a little bite of the water. put it in the morning and will be done by dinner

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C.T.

answers from Atlanta on

We do the same as Sara. You can also add a banana peel, weird, but makes it more tender. No banana taste. Also you can check at six hours, very easy to overcook if you do not know the weight of the roast. My mom cooks hers in the oven, my grandmother on the cooktop. Grandma rolls in flour, browns (outside only a few minutes on each side) in oil puts roast into pot w/lid, adds beef stock (better than broth) spices and slow cooks on the stovetop. Try all three ways.

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J.C.

answers from Kansas City on

K.,

This is what I do, I normally by a Chuck Roast. I heat a skillet with a little oil,sprinkle roast with some liquid smoke, dip both sides of the roast in flour and sear a few minutes on each side. Then I put in roasting pan with lid and add water about 1/2 way up the roast. I usually add a few beef boullion cubes, sliced onions, and liquid smoke to water. Cook at 450* for 1 hour then lower to 350* for 3 more hours. An hour before it's done I had my potatoes, carrots, green beans, corn (whatever vegetables you prefer). Depending on the size of the roast you might check it after 2 hours on the 350* for a smaller roast. Make sure you check every so often at the water level, if it looks low add more water. Good Luck, there's nothing better than a good roast on a Sunday! I myself have never had good luck with a roast in the crockpot. I prefer the old fashioned way in the oven like my mom used to do...J. C

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M.S.

answers from Kansas City on

Hi K.,
I usually use a lean cut of "pot roast" or "arm roast", with a small amount of fat or marbling. If too fat, I trim most of it off. Rump roasts are the most dense and most lean and my experience the rump roasts turn out a bit dry no matter how I cook it. But regardless, I always brown them in a hot skillet to sear and hold in all the juices before cooking in crockpot or oven and they turn out great. Even a cooking bag works well too. You can cook with or without vegetables.
First meal, slice and eat if cooked with potatoes, carrots, celery and onion. If leftovers, add canned tomatoes, green beans season to taste, makes great stew. Other things can be added like corn or peas and stretch by adding some boullion or canned broth. I also use the liquid of the vegetables.
Most of my roasts are just seasoned with salt and pepper, but I ALWAYS add celery or celery leaves to any roasts or chicken for better flavor. If you don't like the celery when complete, you can discard the pieces. Some times, I add a small Bay Leaf to the roast when cooking, but don't like it to over power the flavor, and be sure to discard the Bay leaf before serving as it is not edible.
Recipes.com should be a good resource or any cookbook, Betty Crocker is tried and true as well.
Don't need to give up.
Good luck, keep trying.
M.

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D.Z.

answers from St. Louis on

Very easy K. buy the cooking bags that are sold in the grocery store, an just follow the directions on it for how long to cook your meat. You can guarantee to come out with a tender piece of meat every time. They are just like the ones for turkey.

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I.T.

answers from Kansas City on

One of the easiest recipes for a tender & tasty roast beef is to rinse it with cold water & place it in a crock pot that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Pour in about a 1/4 cup of water. Sprinkle an entire envelope of ONION GRAVY MIX on top of the roast, add baby carrots, the amount being up to you. Cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or on LOW for 8 hours. You will need little to NO water added - the crockpot keeps the meat moist. We like brussels sprouts & I also add them with the carrots. I usually have mashed potatoes instead of putting potatoes in with the roast. The potatoes will cook faster than the carrots & meat, so if you put them in, you'll have to add them about half-way through. It's a very tasty way to do a roast! If there's enough juices in the bottom after removing the meat & vegetables, add a little water to the drippings in a pan on top of the stove, thicken with either flour or cornstarch, season with salt, pepper, etc. and ENJOY!

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S.L.

answers from Joplin on

This is so easy and always works. Coat your roast in flour and brown it lightly. Put it in pan with a can of cream of mushroom soup and an envelope of dry onion soup mix. You can add carrots and potatoes, etc. if you want. Put the lid on and cook it on about 350 degrees for 4-6 hours...the box of lipton onion soup mix may tell you for sure, but the key with roast to keep it tender is low and slow. The best thing about this recipe is it makes its own very tasty gravy with the soups and the juices from the meat. I have a friend who does this but adds a little water to it too, but I've always had plenty of nice thick gravy without needing to. You can also put it in a crockpot all day.

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K.H.

answers from St. Louis on

Rump roast, arm roast and bottom round roast are your best bets for a crock pot roast. Chuck roasts are greasier and turn out better when cooked in the oven. Since I work all day, I usually buy a roast for the crock pot. Before leaving for work, I will quarter some potatoes and onions and clean some carrots. Place these in the bottom of the crock pot. Salt and pepper the meat and put it on top of the veggies. Fill crock pot with water and salt and pepper the water. Remember, since you have potatoes which absorb salt, you will have to put extra salt in the water. Turn the crock pot on high. I usually have this done by 7 am or so. Then when you get home from work dinner will be ready. We usually eat between 5 and 6. This will be the most tender roast. I've heard about browning the roast first, but never found this necessary. Good luck!

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J.C.

answers from St. Louis on

I use a crock pot, but you can use the oven also. I take any beef roast (I get a side of beef every spring so I just grab one), chuck roasts are fattier therefore falling apart easier. Then I add two packets of brown gravy mix (the powdered) along with 2-3 tablespoons of flour to help make a little gravy. I add 3 cups of water, a packet of beef stew seasoning mix, a half an onion (or you can use onion powder, minced onion doesn't matter), a sprinkle of garlic powder, a little salt and pepper & you should be good to go.
I make sure I cook it on high for no less than 8 hours. It will be done sooner, but it gets more tender as it cooks. I add my vegetables in the morning, because I like mine super done & I want my roast to be done when I get home from work,so wwe can eat. Potatoes are the only ones that don't hold up so well, but left in halves don't do too bad. If the juice isn't gravy enough by the time you're ready to eat just mix a little flour & water together & then add the broth from the roast & cook on the stove, stirring constantly unil thick enough, adjust liquid as necessary.

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L.W.

answers from St. Louis on

i use chuck or rump roast in slow cooker and they come out good ...I place the roast in the bootom...sometimes I cut it into about 3/4 to 1 lb chunks so it cooks more thouroughly. Once the roast is in there I take and add one packet of dry onion soup mix and then about 3/4 to 1 cup of water. You can add other seasonings you desire as well. If I am in the mood for carrots and potatoes I line the bottom of the crock pot with some of those before putting the roast and seasonings in. I cook mine on high for at least 5 hours. You can do it on low for more like 8 to 10 hours if you want too.
I usually end up with about 3-4 cups of juice/broth in the bottom after cooking...I save this and put in fridge then the next day you can add celery and carrots and leftover roast and some egg noodles and you have homemade soup after it simmers again for 3-4 hours :)
Best of luck

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B.W.

answers from Springfield on

My husband and I love roast in the winter! I definately use the crock pot. If you have time before you put it in the crock pot, brown or sear the outside in a frying pan first. Regardless, salt & pepper the outside, on all sides. You can purchase a packet of Pot Roast seasoning, but we have been using season salt, minced onion, and maybe a few others (don't really measure, but probably 1 tbsp to 1.5 tbsp, depending on the size of the roast), but my husband REQUIRES a bay leaf on top. I put the roast in first, mix seasoning and add, then add water to nearly cover the roast. We put it on in the morning when we leave for work, and it can cook all day. When we arrive home, we turn it on high and add potatoes and carrots and cook for 1.5 to 2 more hours. I LOVE THIS! (A side note: My husbands mother also boils egg noodles and makes a light gravy from the "juice" in the skillet and adding a bit of flour. This is a real treat for my husband! lol)

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K.M.

answers from Kansas City on

Yum! I'm getting hungry!! So many great ideas, and with this cold weather, some good ole comfort food sounds awesome.

If you have the time, try epicurious.com or foodnetwork.com and browse for some new ideas. Kraftkitchens is also good for recipies that don't have a lot of ingredients.

Have fun in the kitchen!

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C.B.

answers from St. Louis on

I use the eye of round roast. Just put it in your crockpot with the dry lipton onion soup mix and enough water to cover the top of the roast. You can also add carrots and potato. Then let it cook all day. It always turns out so tender, I cook it on high temp. The soup mix adds the right amount of flavor and I always use it to make gravy. Good Luck!

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E.C.

answers from Kansas City on

this is the recipe i got from my sister: one cut of meat, one can of campbells' french onion soup, some minced garlic, and enough carrotts potatoes and mushrooms to fill the crock pot up most of the way. put it all in the crock pot in the morning on low and let cook for 8 hrs or so. it's delicious :)

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J.S.

answers from St. Louis on

This is the easiest, yummiest recipe--just put the roast, 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup and 2 envelopes of french onion soup mix into the crock pot on low all day. I have even put the roast into the crock pot frozen--it always comes out fine. It is so tender, plus you have yummy gravy to pour over mashed potatoes. You can also add veggies and potatoes, if your kids eat them. Just a FYI on the meat-usually the cheapest cut of roast is the best--the more fat, the more tender and juicer the meat (maybe not the healthiest, but...)

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M.J.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi K.-
I had great luck a few weeks ago using the crockpot! Make sure you get a decent cut of meat, but then I just put it in the crockpot with some onions and carrots and beefy onion soup mix, and I used some beer also to keep it moist. I put it on first thing in the morning on low (or you can probably do 4 hours on high) and it was the most tender roast I have ever made! A couple days later, we took the leftover beef, shredded it, and put it back in the crockpot with barbeque sauce (and more beer!) for a great barbeque beef sandwich. Best of luck!

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S.S.

answers from Wichita on

The key is to cook roast long enough. I use a crock pot. First I put just the roast in with a little bit of water (1/2 - 1 cup). I cook this for about 3 hours alone. Then I take out the roast, dump the water. Place a small package of baby carrots in the bottom of the crock pot and about 3-5 cut up potatoes. I them put the roast back in on top of the carrots/potatoes. In a mixing bowl, I place two cans golden mushroom soup and two cans french onion soup and then mix in about a tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken this a little as it cooks. I mix this well and then pour over the roast. This will need to cook about 3-4 more hours. The roast is very tender and my family loves the gravy that the soup makes. Hope this works for you.

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A.A.

answers from Wichita on

The best roast beef I've ever made was made like this.

Crockpot roast beef:
Salt and pepper raw roast on all sides.
Sear the meat in a little bit of hot oil on all sides (this will take just a few minutes)
Chop potatoes, carrots and onion and layer in the bottom of a crockpot.
Put the meat on top of veggies. Add water and red wine until the liquid covers almost the top of the meat.
Add some dried parsley to the top of the meat and the liquid mixture.
Cook on low 7-9 hours.

This totally rocked for me. I hope it works for you!

A. A.
www.wichita.citymommy.com

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J.B.

answers from St. Louis on

my favorite is a rump roast cooked in a crockpot with 10-15 beef boulion cubes, and some vegetables. Cook on high for 10-12 hours(the meat will fall apart)

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G.S.

answers from Springfield on

Hi K.!

Let it slow cook in a crockpot over night. Open up a can of mushroom soup and pour over it so it can make it's on gravy and cut up some oinion to put in there as well. It will be very tender and taste wonderful! My sister turned me on to this over a year now and I've never put another roast in the oven since...

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S.W.

answers from St. Louis on

Hi K., Use your crock pot, it will turn out great everytime. And I've found that McCormicks has those pouches for seasoning for pot roast, stew or what ever. I use the pot roast one for the crock pot and the roast is great everytime. But even when I used my own seasoning, using the crock pot is the best way. Put it on in the morning and this forget about it till dinner. We have roast anytime of the week. I do trim the fat off the roast first, if you don't it can be a bit greasy. And any cut should work. We buy 1/2 a cow each year and end up with several diffrent cuts of roast and they all come out great in the crock pot. The crock pot is my best freind as a working mom. I use it all the time and my hubby brags to other husbands about how we never eat out, I always have dinner no matter what we have going on (2 girls in dance and we volenter with our churchs childrens AWANA program on Wed night). He'll tell them how I have dinner done before I leave the house in the morning. And the great thing about the crock pot - you can use cheaper cuts of meat and they turn out great. Good luck and God Bless!!

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S.

answers from St. Louis on

Here is what I do: I just get a rump roast and put in a crockpot with two cans of beef broth and a couple cans of water to fill it more. I then put in some minced garlic and one small onion just cut in fours and then whatever vegetables I want. I let it cook on low for 8 hours... It turns out really tender and delicious! Good luck, S.

S.B.

answers from Topeka on

To me, roast is not hard to make. It's the taste that is hard to get right. Here is what I have found that works pretty well. Don't cook the roast whole. Trim the fat then cut the roast into chunks or slices. Arrange in a baking dish, add sliced onions and whatever veggies you would like. I also find that veggies taste better cooked seperatly. But that's my opinion. Pour about a cup of beef broth over the roast. Add garlic powder, pepper, and whatever spices you like over the roast. Cover tightly with foil or an oven safe lid and cook in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Since it is cut up, it doesn't take as long to cook. When it is almost done, make some brown gravy... I use store bought dry gravy mix. You can make two or three packets... Cook the gravy until it is nice and thick. Pour over cooked roast and let it all cook in the oven uncovered for about 20 more minutes to allow the gravy to thicken and flavor the meat. This is great served with or over mashed potatoes or rice. Good Luck!

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