new cook question - pot roast and flour?

Question

i'm gonna try n' make a pot roast in a slow cooker my mom has. can i put all veggies in now or wait till it's almost cooked? i'm gonna cook roast for 6 hours - should i flour the roast first? how can i make easy gravy? thank u.

Answer 1

Great idea!

Pat your roast dry first, and roll it lightly in flour with sal & pepper.
Heat a small amount of oil in a pan and brown it over med.-high heat (remember - roasts have 6 sides!)
Place veggies in bottom of slow cooker
Put roast on top
Add herbs/seasonings of your choice
Add a bit of water or canned (not cubed) beef broth (3/4 cup) to the pan you browned the roast in.
Scrape up all the brown bits and pour liquid over roast
Half way through, see if it needs more liquid and add if necessary.
When done, put roast in a bowl, covered with foil.
Use a slotted spoon and remove veggies and cover
Either thicken with flour and water (premixed - no lumps) in the slow cooker set at high, or pour liquid into saucepan, heat to below boiling point, add flour/water mixture (2 tbls. flour to 1/2 c water), A saucepan is easiest. Allow to thicken, while stirring, over med. high heat for 4 or 5 minutes.

Serve

Good Luck!

Answer 2

Flour if you are going to brown it first, and if you are going to put it in a slow cooker, put everything in at the same time!!! As for the gravy, I would just take some of the liquid from the pot and make gravy with some flour, or use a roast mix( found in the baking isle at the store) made for pot roasts! Happy Cooking

Answer 3

Well it's easy and it's going to be great! Wash off the roast with water pat dry with paper towels dredge in seasoned flour (salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you like). Brown the roast on all sides in a pot. Slice up an onion and place in the bottom of the crock pot, position the roast on top, take the drippings from the pot you seared the roast in and deglaze by adding a little water and scraping the brown bits off the pot and mixing with the water. You can also use wine and/or tomato sauce. Add the drippings to the crock pot along with 2 cloves of garlic, chopped. Cook for 4 hours, then add the veggies cut up in pieces. (Potatoes, more onions, and carrots.) Cook for two more hours and check for doneness. The veggies should be tender and the roast fork tender. Sprinkle with a little fresh minced parsley.Enjoy!

Answer 4

Hank has pretty much got it right.
If you want to flour the meat be sure you season and brown it before putting it in the slow cooker.
You will need to add liquid to your pot, some use only water, I prefer about 2 1/2 C beef broth.
It's ok to cook the roast for 6 hours but, be sure it is rather large or you will be over cooking it.
As far as veggies go, it depends on which veggies you are adding.
I personally add at least 1 large turnip to my roast just for the flavor value. (most people don't like turnips but, never know I have added one, just that there is an unidentifiable great flavor).
Add carrots to your roast in the last hour and fifteen minutes of cooking and potatoes in the last forty-five minutes, then watch the potatoes carefully so they don't overcook.
To make gravy, I use 1/2 C "cold" beef broth w/2T cornstarch (blend it well) and remove meat and veggies, turn pot to high and whisk in cornstarch mixture and heat until desired gravy consistancy.
I use cornstarch because I'll never have lumpy gravy.

Answer 5

Only flour it if you are going to sear it in a pan first, before putting into the slow cooker. But that you are going to cook it with veggies does not recommend that - the searing will affect the taste.

What you should (alternately) do is to trim some fat from the roast and set aside. When the roast is nearly done render the fat in a pot over medium low heat. Remove rendered fat crisps. Make your roux from the melted fat. Remove veggies (except onions, maybe) from hot pot; add and stir in roux and make gravy from that.

Answer 6

Lot's of questions! No, don't put veggie's in until last hour. Yes, flour roast first. 6 hours is a bit long. 3 is probably more in line with a pot roast cooked at 300F. Make the gravy in the end when you remove the meat and vegetables.