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| Plate with pot roast, potatoes, carrots, and au just gravy |
How to Make a Low Sodium Pot Roast in a Crock Pot
by Susan Basko
This is how to make a delicious, tender, lower sodium pot roast in a crock pot. I am writing this recipe for beginning cooks, those who maybe never made a roast before. The first time you make a roast, it may seem like a big project -- but after you've done it once, you will be able to easily do it any time.
I was looking online for a recipe to make a pot roast in a crock pot, and the recipes were scary because they used so much sodium. Most of the recipes called for beef broth and onion soup mix. That much sodium is unhealthy to eat. I prefer low sodium foods with more complex flavors. Don't substitute salt and chemicals for a knowledge and use of spices.
Some of the online recipes also call for very little liquid or no liquid-- and not surprisingly, people wrote in comments saying their meat was tough and chewy. My recipe calls for ample liquid that will turn the roast very tender and cook the potatoes into a savory treat. The cooking liquid becomes the au jus gravy for the meat and potatoes.
This recipe is for a roast that is about 2 pounds, with lots of potatoes and carrots cooked with it. This will make 4 or 5 very generous servings.
1. Buy a roast. The package will say "pot roast." Most grocery stores have sales on pot roasts every now and then. When they're on sale, they will be less expensive and there will also usually be a much better selection. If you go shopping mid-morning, you will likely get the very best selection of meat before the best cuts have all been bought. Look for a roast that is well-marbled. That means there are visible lines of fat running all through it, the way a slab of marble looks. Try to find a roast that is about 3 or 4 inches thick and weighs about 2 pounds.
If you are feeding more than 3 or 4 people, you will need a larger roast or several roasts -- and then you should cook it in a pan in the oven and not in a crock pot. The crock pot method works best for a smaller roast. In an oven, you can use a very big roasting pan. Plan on about a half pound of uncooked roast for each adult person. The roast shrinks up during cooking. It's nice to have leftovers, so you might want to plan for that, too.
2. Potatoes and Veggies. You will also need small potatoes -- red potatoes are nice, as are yellow or golden potatoes. I use about 8 or 10 small potatoes. Plan at least two small potatoes for each person you will be serving. You also need a small bag of baby carrots, a large yellow onion, olive oil, balsamic vinegar (that is the dark brown vinegar), some mustard (I use Dijon mustard), minced garlic (I buy big jars of minced garlic in olive oil and use it for everything), and a variety of spices. I also add a bag of Mann's sweet potato rotini. These are sweet potatoes cut up like zigzag french fries and sold fresh in a bag in the produce department. The sweet potatoes add a nice flavor and texture.
3. Crock pot. I use a large oval crock pot. Use whatever you have and buy a roast that will fit.
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6. Season the roast. First, sprinkle a good coating of seasonings and spices on all sides of the roast. I use black pepper, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning. Use the back of a spoon to rub the spices into the meat.
7. Braise the roast. Heat olive oil in a fry pan or skillet and braise all sides of the meat. I use a nonstick fry pan. I braise the top and bottom of the roast for 5 or 6 minutes each side, while I cut the vegetables. To braise the narrow sides of the roast, hold it up with a big fork or tongs. I braise each narrow side for about two minutes. Make sure any fatty parts are braised into a nice crisp brown. Don't skip braising your meat because the braising is what gives the roast a nice brown color and crust and seals in the flavors and juices. I have seen online recipes that say you don't need to braise the meat before roasting it, but that is nonsense. If you don't braise the meat, you will end out with a pale grey tasteless roast with a poor texture.
8. Cut the vegetables and heat the crock pot. While the meat is braising, put a little water in the crock pot and turn it on low to preheat it. Rinse the potatoes, cut them in half and cut each half into four. Cut about 15 or 20 baby carrots into 2 or 3 pieces each. Peel and cut a big onion into wedges and break it into pieces.
9. Put the roast onto the bottom of the crock pot. Put the potatoes, carrots, and sweet potatoes around the roast. Put the onion pieces on top of the roast. The roast simmers in the liquid and becomes tender, and the potatoes and carrots get their flavor from the meat and sauce.
10. Prepare the sauce. To get a good, juicy roast, you need to cook it in liquid. I put all the sauce ingredients into a blender, blend it for a few seconds, then pour the mix into the crock pot. Then sauce should cover all the potatoes and vegetables and only the very top of the roast should be above water -- and that will be covered in onion pieces. The balsamic vinegar in the sauce gives a nice flavor and browns up the potatoes and meat quite nicely. This sauce become an au jus gravy that is perfect over the meat and potatoes.
2 cups water
1/4 cut balsamic vinegar
tablespoon of minced garlic
tablespoon of Dijon mustard
Spices -- I use the following, but you can use whatever you have and like:
black pepper
garlic powder
sumac spice
dried onion flakes
dried sage
dried basil
poultry seasoning
oregano
11. Cover the crock pot and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. You can prepare this in the morning and go about your day and by dinner time, you should have a pot roast that is so tender that it can be broken apart with a spoon, lots of nutritious vegetables, and a perfect sauce.
12. Eat and enjoy! Break off chunks of the roast, use a slotted spoon to lift out the vegetables, and use a ladle to scoop out some sauce. You might want to serve a side dish of peas or corn, as well as your favorite bread to sop up some of the gravy.