Happy December! As the days grow colder and shorter, do you (like me) get hungry for a hearty beef roast? I love them in the oven, heating up my house … but the CrockPot or Instant Pot are also great options for a meal that’s ready when you are!
Different roasts take different techniques, so I’m here to help today with three of my favorite recipes.
For a falling-apart-tender roast
Chuck roast and arm roast I consider “shredding” roasts that do great braised (cooked in liquid in a covered pot at low temp for a long time). This is because they have more fat — and also more connective tissue. You want to break down that connective tissue, and the fat allows for a high final temperature of the meat without losing the moisture.
Here’s one of my go-to recipes for chuck and arm roast: https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a10342/pot-roast-recipe/
Sometimes I skip all the searing and just put the roast in the CrockPot with some salt and pepper. Maybe carrots and an onion if I want. Add water or broth, and plug it in! Leave it on high for about 4 hours, low for 6-8, and you’ll find a tasty roast waiting for you.
[Bonus recipe: Also of note, I just got an Instant Pot and the first thing I tried was a chuck roast. I cooked it from frozen to falling-apart-delicious in about 2 hours! If you have an Instant Pot, here’s the recipe I used for that: https://keytomylime.com/instant-pot-frozen-roast/ ]
For juicy sliced roast beef
Most of the other roasts are “slicer” roasts. These include sirloin tip roast, eye of the round roast, rump roast, any of the round roasts. These roasts are leaner, so you don’t want the final temperature too high. I like to get them up to about medium rare to medium range, like 130 to 140 F. I know this can be a personal preference, but with lean meat, “well done” is never well done! 🙂
Here’s a recipe I love for sirloin tip roast: https://theadventuresofbobandshan.com/sirloin-tip-roast/
And a general roast beef recipe that works for slicing roasts: https://www.healthy-delicious.com/classic-roast-beef-recipe/
Pair any of these recipes with a fluffy pile of mashed potatoes and some roasted veggies and dig in!
Here’s to many delicious winter meals.
-Tanya
