Results vary for crock pot recipes the same way they do for anything else. For example, I've had several different crock pot recipes made with different soups, soup packets, etc., and most of the time they come out way to salty for my taste due to the high sodium content. This is in part why when I make that roast recipe I posted in the OP I make so much: so that can of (low sodium) beef broth is more diluted. Other than that, I use all-natural ingredients. I'm hardly a great chef, but the things I can make, I make very well, and it was mostly learned via trial and error when I moved out of the house back in high school. So....don't knock it til you've tried it is all I'm saying. And I'll still put my pot roast up with anything your grandmother can make.
I had no idea about that. Still healthier than fast food, though...not that you were saying otherwise.
It kills my wife because she would cook everything in the crock pot if she could, but I won't eat it. To me, it makes meat stringy. I also think the flavors bleed into everything in the pot. The meat shouldn't taste like the potatoes. The potatoes shouldn't taste like the carrots. Etc., etc.
I also don't tend to like the texture of the meat. I like it with a bite to it, and to chew it to break it down. When cooked in the crock pot, it's just too soft for my liking.
One of my favorite things is a good pot roast. Always sear the sides in some olive oil/bacon fat/butter with chopped up fresh rosemary. Use shallots... all of the shallot (bulb through green) diced up and put in the pot with it. Other than that, I'd say the same thing as the first dude.
I love a beef roast more for the potatoes and carrots, though the roast itself is good. The brisket I've made in my crockpot is the best brisket I've ever eaten. I wish you could try it. Grilling and crockpots are so different. I'm not going to grill brisket/roasts. Crockpots are more often used as cheap easy alternatives to smoking meat.
Have you not had a good grilled brisket before?? They are absolutely delightful! Texas is known for their grilled briskets!
I love my collection of Le Creuset..........especially my goose pot; but you'd have to sell quite a few used crockpots on craigslist to afford any. While it's true a Dutch oven can perform both important parts of a braise, a crockpot along with a ten dollar cast iron skillet can peform an admirable job at a lower price point. That being said, these people throwing a piece of meat into a crockpot without searing it first..............well, there's just something wrong with that. Reminds me of the Chef's speech in Apocolypse Now.
I'm one of those guys that doesn't know how to do s**t in the kitchen except cut stuff up and clean dishes. If I attempted to sear meat, I'd probably just ruin it. I like things that are entirely uncomplicated such as tossing stuff in a pot, turning it on, and going to work with dinner awaiting me when I get home. I'd definitely not going to put forth the effort to sear in the morning before work, if I even knew how to do it properly (yeah, yeah, I see 'em do it on cooking shows, but I'd still f**k it up).
Yes, and I've had very good brisket, but the one I make is just that amazing IMO. I was stunned at how good it turned out.
Wow. I'd be stunned too if it was better than a smoked one. I doubt my taste buds would ever prefer slow cooked, but I'll respect your opinion.
I had pretty much the same experience with a crock pot-made pot roast. An ex's mom made a crock pot pot roast, and I couldn't believe how good it was, so I made up my own recipe. And I'll still put it up against anything grandma makes. Not that it'll be better necessarily, but it'll sure hold its own.
Another awesome thing about crock pots is how much food you can actually make. Make enough of either recipe I posted, and it'll literally feed you for days.
