Favorite Pot Roast

The kind of pot roast you set up in the morning and come home to find fall-apart tender. Beef chuck gets a dry rub of seasoned salt, paprika, and pepper, then slow cooks in beef stock with onion until it practically slices itself.

Chuck roast is the right cut for this. It’s loaded with collagen that breaks down over hours of low heat, turning tough connective tissue into the silky, rich texture that makes a slow cooker pot roast so satisfying. Leaner cuts would dry out long before the 8-hour mark.

The spice rub builds a flavor crust on the outside of the meat that seasons the braising liquid as it cooks. That liquid becomes a ready-made gravy once the roast is done.

Pro Tips

• Don’t lift the lid during cooking. Every peek drops the temperature and adds 15 to 20 minutes to the cook time.
• The meat is done when a fork slides in and out with almost no resistance. If you have to pull or saw, give it more time.
• Let the roast rest for 10 minutes after removing from the crockpot before slicing. It firms up just enough to hold together.
• Skim the fat off the braising liquid and use it as a simple gravy over the sliced meat.

Variations

• Add quartered potatoes, carrots, and celery to the crockpot during the last 3 to 4 hours for a complete one-pot meal.
• Swap beef stock for a cup of red wine for a deeper, more complex braising liquid.
• Stir a tablespoon of tomato paste into the stock before cooking for a richer, slightly tangy gravy.