Roast Beef in the Crockpot?

[andreac]

Hi all,

I've got friends coming over for dinner tomorrow and a roast in the fridge (i think top round). I'd love to cook the roast in the crockpot, but I've never done it before. What's your favorite way to do roast beef?

[boheime]

I love cooking roast in the slow cooker. I cook it on low all afternoon. Let it rest 15-20 minutes after yo take it out before handling. I just made one yesterday. It was big. I put it on at 11 AM and took it out at 5 PM to rest. it was fantastic.

[zacharysmom]

my favorite is onions with beef bullion dissolved in water or lipton french onion soup with water poured over the raost then coked o nhigh for 6 or so hours

[LemonPie]

I like to cook it with Lipton onion soup as well. Sometimes I throw in some carrots and potatoes a couple of hours before serving (don't do the potatoes any sooner than that--they'll dissolve!).

[Starflower]

I usually just throw sliced onions and garlic cloves on the bottom, then add the roast and sprinkle on a little salt and pepper. Sometimes I also some dried herbs that strike my fancy that day. It usually comes out well. I also add 1/2 cup water to the pot.

I haven't cooked a roast in the oven since I first tried it in the slow cooker. I don't do roast often, but it sure makes it easy when we have company - especially when my meat and potato-eating parents come visit.

[andreac]

Thanks for all the advice. So about how long should I cook a roast that is just over 3.5 lbs? I forgot about my son's soccer game this morning and won't have time to get it in before we leave...can I cook it on high the whole time or will it dry out?

[*Jessica*]

I cook a roast of that size on low for about 8 hours usually. It will be falling apart tender. If you have to cook it on high, it should take about 4 hours. As long as you have it covered in liquid it won't dry out. Here's my recipe:

3-4 pound beef roast
sea salt & freshly ground pepper
1 to 2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos (use low-sodium soy sauce if you must)
2 cups good quality beef broth

Season the roast with salt & pepper. Toss it in the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients and add water just until the roast is covered. Cook on low for approximately 8 hours or on low for approximately 4 hours.

[sunnysandiegan]

We've been doing a rub on beef in the crockpot lately and YUMMY!!!!!!

Pour a little oil (we like olive) in a small dish.
Add spices to oil (whatever strikes your fancy).
Rub it all over the beef.
Put a layer of sliced onions on bottom of crockpot.
Lay beef on top, centered.
Turn on "high" to get it hot, then turn it down to "keep warm" until the temp (with a meat thermometer) is to your liking.

The last few "roasts" we've done like this have been melt-in-your mouth DEEEE-licious!!!

[Irishmommy]

Originally Posted by *Jessica*

As long as you have it covered in liquid it won't dry out.

My crockpot book says to use very little water - when I do pot roast, I have maybe a cup of water in the whole thing at the beginning, which sweats up to much more at the end, and my meat is never dry.

[elanorh]

Newer crockpots, I have found to my dismay, cook "hotter," and do need more liquid than the older ones.

We have roast frequently. This is how we made our most recent roast:

Roast in crockpot.
Pour beef broth around roast (probably 1-2 cups)
Sprinkle roast (about half of it sticking out of broth) with sea salt and Herbs de Provence seasoning

Drop 2-3 peeled garlic cloves into broth, cover, cook on high for an hour then on LOW the rest of the day (you could do LOW the whole day if you wanted).

We ate it with mashed potatoes for supper, and the next day I made salt rolls and we had Pulled Herb de Provence beef sandwiches for lunch. Mmmmmm.

I usually roast carrots in the crockpot with my roast, but not when I do the Herbs de Provence (I don't think they taste as good with those seasonings).

[Equuskia]

hmm...I have roasted meats in my crockpot, I put the potatoes and carrots on the bottom, and have never had them "dissolve". I also don't fill the crockpot with liquid. I just put enough to cover the root vegetables.

[jocelyndale]

Since the crockpot is generally a pretty a wet method, I use it for pot roast.

For roast beef (the kind that is red on the inside and slices into a dream and is just amazing), I use this recipe/method:
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/roast_beef/

[*Jessica*]

Originally Posted by Irishmommy

My crockpot book says to use very little water - when I do pot roast, I have maybe a cup of water in the whole thing at the beginning, which sweats up to much more at the end, and my meat is never dry.

Originally Posted by elanorh

Newer crockpots, I have found to my dismay, cook "hotter," and do need more liquid than the older ones.

Mine certainly does! If I don't use plenty of liquid for beef or pork then things come out dry. Chicken with the skin on is fine, because it makes its own juice to cook in. Maybe my slow cooker just sucks!