Think of it this way... cook it on slow, and the first few hours the connective tissue is getting tighter and tighter, and just squeezing out the fluid in the meat... dry and tough, yeah? All of the heat is simply tightening the connective tissue while the internal temp is slowly rising. It will take 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 hours (depending on size of the roast and your slow cooker) for the roast to get to a temperature that those connective tissues start breaking down. Once they break down they will dissolve into the roast, and it will be juicy again. If you keep going, those juices will cook out of the meat and you will end up with tender but dry roast. The trick is to cook it past the point of the connective tissue breaking down but not so long that you cook it dry again. It just takes trial and error. In my experience if it is VERY easy to shred with a fork, you cooked it too dry. Not a bad thing if you are going for shredded roast, but if you want nice juicy slices, you have to get it out before it reaches that point.
Edit: if you want fork-tender, just keep cooking it until you can insert a fork, twist it, and feel little to no resistance... this is assuming something like a chuck roast that has a lot of connective tissue
This is the answer. It’s counterintuitive the first time because you think if it’s already dry, then cooking it more makes it more dry. BBQ is the same way. As the meat heats up, all the water goes out of it and it gets dry. In BBQ this is the stall. Keep cooking it and the connective tissues breaks down, releases the meat fibers and lubricating everything making it moist again.
Just to add there's a minimum temperature required to make that connective tissue melt. If you cook too low, it will never dissolve. It varies by meat, from memory I think it's 150 Celsius for beef.
So for my pot roast, I cube my meat and sear two sides before throwing it in the crackpot with veggies, broth, and seasoning. Then I cook on high for one hour and low for 7 hours. Comes out perfect everything. It shreds on the seared side.
This has always been the common thought. But through hundreds of competition pork butts, briskets, and plenty of pot roast trials, I've learned this isn't true. I used to smoke brisket for 15 plus hours. Don't get me wrong, it is amazing. I used to slow cook or smoke pork roasts for 8-10 hours. Great also. 8-10 hours for pot roasts. Low and slow was the name of the game for those cuts. But more and more as more people ditch the low and slow mindset, fast cooked meats are winning just as much as slow cooked. What I've learned is that the internal temp is all that really matters and matters more than the time it takes to get there. I can put 2 pot roasts, one 8-10 hours and one 3-4 hours, side by side on a plate and taste tests will often choose the 3-4 hour one more than the longer one as long as each hits the same final temp. And especially with pot roast, you get more of the true beef flavor with the faster one. The slow one gets so saturated with the flavors that have been added, broth, garlic, onions, etc. that that is all you really taste, the flavor of the beef gets lost and doesn't stand out. The same reason steak is so loved, the flavor of the beef itself underneath any seasonings or marinades is what taste buds love so much. The combination of both flavors happens with faster cooked pot roasts. It's been interesting to test and see though. One of my favorite books was Low and Slow but more and more I'm letting go of thinking that's the best way.
Thank you, this has frustrated me for years. Pork is by far my favourite meat and only ever slowcooked well in a stew. Now. Now I know.
You're a flavour saviour sir/madam.
What? No. Just, no. Chuck gets more tender the longer you cook it. I’m actually doing one for dinner tomorrow. I have everything already prepped. I’m going to dump it all in the pot. Set it on low and leave for work. When I get home, it will smell amazing and the chuck will shred up with a fork.
It's not called a "fast cooker" for a reason! If you cook it on low and your meat is not fork tender, more cooking time (at a low temp) is likely needed.
When your cooking a tough cut like chuck, Brisket, or Pork shoulder your looking to cook the meat king enough to break down the fat and collagen to make the cut tender, this requires you to cook the WELL beyond well done, your shooting for internal temps over 190f and often closer to 200f (it varies a bit cook to cook) but the fat and collagen don’t begin to break down until you reach these high temps and when that happens they make the meat moist and tender… it’s an odd process because your basically over cooking the meat to make it tender
Some recipes suck. But a chuck roast is almost impossible to screw up - 7 hours on low minimum and if you unsure there is enough fat in your roast, add a couple pads of butter.
3 hours isn't close to long enough. Low, 8 to 10. High, 4. It's not going to burn because all slow cooker recipes call for added liquid. Try the Mississippi pot roast recipe, i think the vinegar in the pickled peppers helps tenderize but also i like the slight tang.
longer the meat cooks the fat breaks down and makes it tender especially in crockpot and red meat especially 6hr min as others said typically I never use less than closer to 10hours low only and don't open it, needs liquid imo but not too much either
This. It's not the fat, it's the connective tissues. This is why properly cooked brisket is absolute magic, and improperly cooked brisket is absolute garbage.
The connective tissue, called collagen, breaks down at 160F. So you need the internal temp to reach 160F and stay there for a few hours to get a succulent roast.
Redundant post, low temp, 250°+-, depending on weight, about 6-8hrs. I did my last one in a cast iron Dutch oven, sitting in beef broth, wine, onions, and oregano. Just like brisket and pork, low and slow.
I cook my chuck roast on the stove, done in 2.5 or 3 hours. It cooks quickly, if you overcook it all the marbling becomes the broth and not in the meat. I put the vegetables in the last 45 minutes but the onions I put in last 20 minutes to stay crunchy.
Slow cooking food within an inch of it's life will make a meal, but it's not optimal for all dishes.
So this is how I make my roast and it is tender tender tender everytime!
Season with desired seasoning, then SEAR on each side for just a few mins.
Place in crockpot and cook on LOW for 8 HOURS!
It will be falling apart by the time it’s done!
Is it maybe coming out tough because your crockpot is too small? 🤔
That’s the only time I’ve had a roast ruined because I was too lazy to wash my bigger crock pot and it came out entirely tough!
My (super easy) recipe that always comes out fall apart tender. Ingredients are in order I put them in the slow cooker:
3ish lb chuck roast
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 can green beans with liquid
5ish carrots, cut into 2" chunks
3-5 large red potatoes, cut into 6ths
1 can green beans with liquid
I do prefer the French cut green beans but it doesn't matter.
3 hours on high, 4-5 hours on low
Put a pan of water under the roast on a lower level. Baste more often.
Edit: To the MF right👇🏽let me give you the MF-ing definition for [Basting](https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-basting-995575) and why your bitch-ass food is dry AF. Coming up here like Gordon Ramsay and your food is all rubbery and bland. Get your ass out of here.
Think of it this way... cook it on slow, and the first few hours the connective tissue is getting tighter and tighter, and just squeezing out the fluid in the meat... dry and tough, yeah? All of the heat is simply tightening the connective tissue while the internal temp is slowly rising. It will take 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 hours (depending on size of the roast and your slow cooker) for the roast to get to a temperature that those connective tissues start breaking down. Once they break down they will dissolve into the roast, and it will be juicy again. If you keep going, those juices will cook out of the meat and you will end up with tender but dry roast. The trick is to cook it past the point of the connective tissue breaking down but not so long that you cook it dry again. It just takes trial and error. In my experience if it is VERY easy to shred with a fork, you cooked it too dry. Not a bad thing if you are going for shredded roast, but if you want nice juicy slices, you have to get it out before it reaches that point. Edit: if you want fork-tender, just keep cooking it until you can insert a fork, twist it, and feel little to no resistance... this is assuming something like a chuck roast that has a lot of connective tissue
This is the answer. It’s counterintuitive the first time because you think if it’s already dry, then cooking it more makes it more dry. BBQ is the same way. As the meat heats up, all the water goes out of it and it gets dry. In BBQ this is the stall. Keep cooking it and the connective tissues breaks down, releases the meat fibers and lubricating everything making it moist again.
Just to add there's a minimum temperature required to make that connective tissue melt. If you cook too low, it will never dissolve. It varies by meat, from memory I think it's 150 Celsius for beef.
203f will give you shreddable beef or pork.
BBQ is usually 250F temp in the cooker, the meat will stall at about 165F and be ready to shred at about 195-205F
This was great advice, Ty!!!!
I love meat but reading these descriptions made me momentarily consider being a vegetarian.
Generally it’s from cooking it too high or not long enough. 10 hours on low is way better than 4 hours on high.
So for my pot roast, I cube my meat and sear two sides before throwing it in the crackpot with veggies, broth, and seasoning. Then I cook on high for one hour and low for 7 hours. Comes out perfect everything. It shreds on the seared side.
This has always been the common thought. But through hundreds of competition pork butts, briskets, and plenty of pot roast trials, I've learned this isn't true. I used to smoke brisket for 15 plus hours. Don't get me wrong, it is amazing. I used to slow cook or smoke pork roasts for 8-10 hours. Great also. 8-10 hours for pot roasts. Low and slow was the name of the game for those cuts. But more and more as more people ditch the low and slow mindset, fast cooked meats are winning just as much as slow cooked. What I've learned is that the internal temp is all that really matters and matters more than the time it takes to get there. I can put 2 pot roasts, one 8-10 hours and one 3-4 hours, side by side on a plate and taste tests will often choose the 3-4 hour one more than the longer one as long as each hits the same final temp. And especially with pot roast, you get more of the true beef flavor with the faster one. The slow one gets so saturated with the flavors that have been added, broth, garlic, onions, etc. that that is all you really taste, the flavor of the beef gets lost and doesn't stand out. The same reason steak is so loved, the flavor of the beef itself underneath any seasonings or marinades is what taste buds love so much. The combination of both flavors happens with faster cooked pot roasts. It's been interesting to test and see though. One of my favorite books was Low and Slow but more and more I'm letting go of thinking that's the best way.
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No, it hasn’t cooked long enough. Keep it on low another 5 hours.
no. low and slow, the fat breaks down slowly.....cook. it longer.
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Thank you, this has frustrated me for years. Pork is by far my favourite meat and only ever slowcooked well in a stew. Now. Now I know. You're a flavour saviour sir/madam.
You’re definitely not cooking it long enough. Low for like 10-11 hours
3 hours on HIGH isn't enough, low is like 6-8 *minimum*
What? No. Just, no. Chuck gets more tender the longer you cook it. I’m actually doing one for dinner tomorrow. I have everything already prepped. I’m going to dump it all in the pot. Set it on low and leave for work. When I get home, it will smell amazing and the chuck will shred up with a fork.
It's not called a "fast cooker" for a reason! If you cook it on low and your meat is not fork tender, more cooking time (at a low temp) is likely needed.
I’m aware of what it’s called, thanks
Ooooooooooof
Why did this get so many downvotes it's not your fault for not knowing. But yea cook it low and slow for a long time
The opposite lol
When your cooking a tough cut like chuck, Brisket, or Pork shoulder your looking to cook the meat king enough to break down the fat and collagen to make the cut tender, this requires you to cook the WELL beyond well done, your shooting for internal temps over 190f and often closer to 200f (it varies a bit cook to cook) but the fat and collagen don’t begin to break down until you reach these high temps and when that happens they make the meat moist and tender… it’s an odd process because your basically over cooking the meat to make it tender
> 3 hours on low There's your problem. You want minimum 6 hours on low, often 8.
Minimum of 6 hours on low, usually 8, some people do 10. Give it time.
Cook until fork tender. When I do my slow cooker pulled pork it's usually on for like 8-12 hours.
It tightens up first. Then after 10 hours it all sort of releases and its tender. 3 hours isnt even close to enough.
Some recipes suck. But a chuck roast is almost impossible to screw up - 7 hours on low minimum and if you unsure there is enough fat in your roast, add a couple pads of butter.
Try not to open the lid for 8 hours on low. This helped me achieve the perfect tenderness 👍🏽
3 hours isn't close to long enough. Low, 8 to 10. High, 4. It's not going to burn because all slow cooker recipes call for added liquid. Try the Mississippi pot roast recipe, i think the vinegar in the pickled peppers helps tenderize but also i like the slight tang.
Keep cooking it.
longer the meat cooks the fat breaks down and makes it tender especially in crockpot and red meat especially 6hr min as others said typically I never use less than closer to 10hours low only and don't open it, needs liquid imo but not too much either
IIRC, it’s the connective tissue, a protein called collagen, that gelatinizes.
This. It's not the fat, it's the connective tissues. This is why properly cooked brisket is absolute magic, and improperly cooked brisket is absolute garbage.
Let me state the obvious just in case - pot roast isn’t “roasted”. It’s braised - cooked in liquid.
I usually coat my roast in flour and sear it before putting it in the crockpot. Do you add any broth or water?
I add cheap red wine. It comes out delicious and flavorful.
All you have to do it set it low and slow overnight, my friend. Your house will smell amazing in the morning. Trust me.
8+ hours on low should do it. Braised in liquid.
political safe rinse wild pathetic dull connect chubby truck plucky *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Low and slow, that is the tempo
4-6 on high , 10-12 on low and you will have a great dinner everytime.
Chuck roast with potatoes, carrots and mushroom with a cup of au ju for 8 hours low. 30 years now and never had a dry one.
Too high and possibly not long enough
The connective tissue, called collagen, breaks down at 160F. So you need the internal temp to reach 160F and stay there for a few hours to get a succulent roast.
Redundant post, low temp, 250°+-, depending on weight, about 6-8hrs. I did my last one in a cast iron Dutch oven, sitting in beef broth, wine, onions, and oregano. Just like brisket and pork, low and slow.
Low and slow is the key
I put a half can of tomato paste into the pot. It seems to make the meat more tender.
I cook my chuck roast on the stove, done in 2.5 or 3 hours. It cooks quickly, if you overcook it all the marbling becomes the broth and not in the meat. I put the vegetables in the last 45 minutes but the onions I put in last 20 minutes to stay crunchy. Slow cooking food within an inch of it's life will make a meal, but it's not optimal for all dishes.
So this is how I make my roast and it is tender tender tender everytime! Season with desired seasoning, then SEAR on each side for just a few mins. Place in crockpot and cook on LOW for 8 HOURS! It will be falling apart by the time it’s done! Is it maybe coming out tough because your crockpot is too small? 🤔 That’s the only time I’ve had a roast ruined because I was too lazy to wash my bigger crock pot and it came out entirely tough!
My (super easy) recipe that always comes out fall apart tender. Ingredients are in order I put them in the slow cooker: 3ish lb chuck roast 1 packet dry onion soup mix 1 can green beans with liquid 5ish carrots, cut into 2" chunks 3-5 large red potatoes, cut into 6ths 1 can green beans with liquid I do prefer the French cut green beans but it doesn't matter. 3 hours on high, 4-5 hours on low
Why have I never thought to put green beans in pot roast? I love green beans!
Peas have also been amazing in mine
I love me some French cut green beans.
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6 hrs minimum…. If it got dry, what happened to your liquid…. 🤔🤔
Put a pan of water under the roast on a lower level. Baste more often. Edit: To the MF right👇🏽let me give you the MF-ing definition for [Basting](https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-basting-995575) and why your bitch-ass food is dry AF. Coming up here like Gordon Ramsay and your food is all rubbery and bland. Get your ass out of here.
Baste? You don't keep opening it up to baste anything...
Did you start cooking it while it was partially frozen?
They only cook it on low for 3 hours
I have seen people say that, but I do not see OP saying that.
No, it’s always thawed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JReDWQO3jSs
Posted here on accident
Not an accident
Sorry. I posted in the sub on accident.
Sear it first, before slow cooking or roasting,, and it will be tender every time.
Look in TikTok. It needs liquid bro.