Heaven on Earth

Heaven on Earth

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

The Most Succulent Moist Oven Pot Roast Ever

There is nothing like coming home, opening the front door, and being hit in the face by... POT ROAST?  What?  That's right Pot Roast.  Nothing says Sunday Dinner quite like it.  If you're part of my generation you probably were weaned on pot roast.  It's the ubiquitous Sunday dinner.  This one has Coke (you won't recognize it in the roast but it will tenderize your meat), carrots/your choice of veggies, and a little bit of beef broth for flavor.  It's the perfect one pot meal.  Next week is for Turkey; let's eat beef.


Pull out your pan, some pantry items and you're on your way to a relaxing Sunday dinner.  Go on; put your feet up, enjoy your family, and wait until dinner is ready.  Then dig in.


I have a tip for you that you won't believe... until you try it, that is. 


Plastic wrapped Pyrex pan after cooking in a 350 degree oven.


Did you know that you can put plastic wrap in the oven?  I know someone who once cooked a frozen pizza in their oven, still wrapped in the plastic-covered cardboard box.  Guess what?  It started on fire.


 This is not the same thing.  This works!!!  I've done it many, many times.  I think I first got the idea from America's Test Kitchen many years ago.
My Dad's home-grown purple carrots
Here's what you do:  Put your ingredients in a Pyrex pan.  Add a bit of liquid in the bottom to provide steam.  Tightly cover the pan with Cling/plastic wrap about 1/2-inch from the top of the pan.  Now cover the plastic wrap tightly with aluminum foil.  Make sure all of the plastic wrap is covered by foil.  You can now bake up to about 375 degrees F.  This method seals in juices like you wouldn't believe.  Your roasts will be pull-apart tender.  Try it....it works.


Perfect Pot Roast

Large (3-4 lb.) chuck roast or any cut of pot roast, trimmed of fat
2 tablespoons of oil
1 12-oz. can of Coca-Cola
8-oz. of beef broth
Handful of carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces (if you happen to have some of your father's purple home-grown carrots, even better.  Aren't they pretty?)
Potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks about the same size as your carrots
1 medium yellow onion, quartered and separated into chunks
3 cloves of garlic, slightly smashed and peeled

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.   Salt and pepper your roast.
In a dutch oven or cast iron pan, heat the oil until it shimmers and is hot.  Over medium-high heat, brown the roast on all sides.  Remove it from the pan and set it aside.
Add the onions to the pan and cook them down until they are caramelized, scraping up any browned bits of meat (fond) from the bottom of the pan.  Remove the onions and set them aside.  Add the broth to the pan and reduce the broth slightly.  

In most pot roast recipes this is the point that you put all of the ingredients back in the cast iron pan.  Don't do it.
Put your roast and it's reserved juices into a 9 by 13-inch Pyrex pan.  Spoon the onions and the whole garlic cloves over the meat.  Pour the heated broth and the Coke around the roast.  Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, stopping about 1-inch below the rim.  Completely cover the plastic wrap with aluminum foil.  Crimp it tightly around the pan, making sure that no wrap is showing.

Put the roast into the hot oven and roast for 3 hours. Remove the pan from the oven.  Carefully peel back the foil and even more carefully remove the plastic wrap from the hot pan.  It will come right off if you have covered it completely with the foil.  Add the carrots, potatoes, and any other veggies you might like around the roast.  Cover the pan again with more foil.  Put the roast back into the oven for one more hour, or until the vegetables are browned and tender.  Add water if necessary to keep the juices from burning and baste the roast with the pan juices occasionally during the last hour.

Pull the roast apart with two forks and serve the juices and veggies on the side.

15 comments:

  1. I'd love to come home to this cooking. I have never heard of anyone putting plastic wrap in the oven before. Guess I'll have to give it a try.

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  2. Yum Yuuuummmmm! I LOVE pot roast! You made me laugh out loud with your comment that next week is for Turkey. Bring on the Beef!

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  3. I really want to try this! I do not have luck with making my roast moist:( I'm glad you included a photo with the plastic wrap, just to make sure I was reading correctly:)

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    2. I've now used Saran Wrap several times with great success in. Different recipes thanks for this awesome tip!

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  4. I did a pot roast in an oven bag last Sunday and was disappointed the roast wasn't more tender. I'll have to try this! Did you put the plastic wrap on top of the roast but not touching the glass or wrap it on top of the glass as you normally would?

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  5. I'm a cattle rancher so I love seeing folks eating BEEF! Yes, we'll have turkey next week, but I think my Hubby would rather have steak.

    I've never used plastic wrap on a pot roast nor Coke, so I'll have to give this a whirl. Do you ever make your roast in a crock pot and simmer it all day long? It's nice to be able to walk away from it and be outdoors.

    Jody

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  6. This looks delicious Bonnie. I've never cooked with plastic wrap in the oven. Unbelievable. I'm going to try it next time. Thanks!

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  7. Bonnie,
    Just had to tell you that I made the Coke Roast and was it ever DELISH! I used the plastic wrap, but put it on a roasting pan. It didn't melt all the way, but didn't quite work the way you said. Perhaps because it was not on a Pyrex pan? Anyway, the roast was super moist and fall-apart good. Even this tough, lean rump roast was super! thank you for the tips.

    Jody

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  8. Hi Bonnie, I found your recipe because someone had pinned it onto Pinterest. I was looking for a pot roast recipe that only required a Pyrex pan, so your recipe sounded perfect. I had never made a pot roast before, and as a newlywed I thought I should try! I was a bit nervous about the plastic wrap factor, but it wasn't as scary as I thought and this recipe was amazing. The meat was so tender and juicy. My first pot roast was a hit with my husband, all thanks to you! I was trying to figure out where you are based (somewhere cold, from all the snow pictures!) but you don't seem to have an "About Me" section. Wherever you are - thank you!
    Thanks again,
    Andrea (Los Angeles, CA)

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  9. Hi Andrea, I'm in Utah. So glad you and Jody liked the roast. The coke works as a tenderizer and the plastic wrap is just a wonder! You need to use it on glass Jody. I think the metal roasting pan probably gets too hot and melts it more. And be sure to cover the wrap with the foil.

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  10. For years I have been searching for a recipe for totally tender roast. I wondered if the plastic wrap would work for beef and I found this recipe. My roast was so fork tender and the vegetables cooked at the end were delicious. This is my go - to recipe for roast from now on.Thanks!!

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  11. I’m so glad you liked this technique. Thanks for stopping by the blog.

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  12. ok Im trying this and I'm a little scared that my plastic wrap is going to melt but what the heck I'll try it.

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  13. This really does work. You need to use a glass Pyrex pan and be sure you cover the plastic wrap completely with aluminum foil.

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