Chuck roast is one of the more popular slow-cooker options because of how tender and flavorful it becomes after several hours of cooking on low.
There are many different cuts that can be used for crockpot roast from bottom round, to rump roast, to shoulder roast to chuck roast, but for the best crockpot pot roast, use the boneless chuck roast.
Chateaubriand Tenderloin Roast
The most tender beef roast that is well known for being lean and succulent. Easy to carve with its fine texture.
Choose the right cut: Chuck roasts, short ribs, pork shoulders and lamb shanks (think fatty and tougher meats) become meltingly tender with the moist, low heat of a slow cooker. Leaner cuts like pork tenderloin tend to dry out. Likewise, dark meat chicken — thighs, drumsticks, etc.
Understanding the Issue of Tough Meat in a Slow Cooker
Without enough liquid or cooking time, the meat can be tough. It's best to use one with fat content. Fat keeps the dish moist during cooking. Searing it before adding it to the slow cooker helps lock in juices and flavors.
If you have a few extra minutes when preparing anything in a slow cooker, try browning your meat before adding it to the cooker. It boosts the flavor and color of any dish, but can be skipped if you're in a hurry.
Stick to the cook time indicated on your recipe
While slow cooker recipes are designed to cook for extended periods of time, they can still become overcooked if left on the wrong setting for too long. In general, it's best to stick to the indicated cook time on the recipe you're following.
A perfectly cooked beef joint makes a wonderful centrepiece for a Sunday roast or Christmas dinner. To cook it until it's so tender it falls apart, you'll need to choose a joint like chuck and blade or beef brisket and either braise, slow roast or slow cook it for at least a couple of hours.
The best cuts of beef for roasting are the eye fillet, rib eye (on the bone or boneless fillet), sirloin or rump. When choosing your beef cut in store, look out for: A moderate covering of fat on cuts such as sirloin or rump – which will add delicious flavour and prevent the meat from drying out during cooking.
Or think of it this way: The most tender—and expensive—roasts come from the parts that move the least (think rib roast and tenderloin). Conversely, the tougher roasts that take best to braising come from the areas that get the most exercise, like the round.
2Is it better to cook a roast on high or low in a crockpot? We'll always recommend low heat for this recipe. Not only is there more room for error, but the meat is also more tender and tasty when cooked low and slow!
chuck roast: as mentioned, chuck is the best cut for this crock pot shredded beef. When it is slow cooked, it literally falls apart and it so tender. You could use round or rump roast if chuck is not available.
Ground beef is probably one of the most cost-effective cuts of beef, and it cooks great in the slow cooker as long as you avoid having too much liquid in your recipe. Oxtail and shank are also inexpensive options that can be cooked in a slow cooker and offer great value for money.
The meat will cook just fine without searing. (And any surface bacteria will die during cooking anyway.) But I really believe that the depth and complexity of flavor we gain in this searing step is well-worth the extra effort.
Ground meat should always be browned in a skillet and drained before adding it to the slow cooker with the other ingredients. This process prevents it from clumping together as it cooks and cuts down on the amount of grease in the final dish.
Flouring meat for a stew is a convenient way to thicken the gravy. This tends to work best if you brown the meat with the flour on as it gets the flour properly cooked.
Fat side up ALWAYS on any meat that you are slow roasting whether in a slow cooker, on the stovetop, or in the oven. Placing the fat side up provides a steady source of moisture and evenly bastes the roast all during the cooking time.
Check the levels of the stock, it should come up halfway up the side of your joint. Top with extra hot beef stock if necessary. Cover the slow cooker and cook your beef joint for 5-8 hours on LOW or 3-6 hours on HIGH.
Water or liquid is necessary to create steam. When cooking meat or poultry, the water or liquid level should cover the ingredients to ensure effective heat transfer throughout the crock. Some manufacturers of slow cookers recommend adding liquid to fill the stoneware 1/2 to 3/4 full.
Cooking for an extended time allows the connective tissue and fat to break down, which not only softens the meat up but also preserves its moisture.
One thing I would like to add that I haven't seen mentioned yet is: keep it covered. Your lid is holding in steam, and while it doesn't operate under the stresses of a pressure cooker, it still helps cook the meat fall-apart tender faster. With the lid off, you're basically slow braising whatever is in there.
If you've ever cut into a fork-tender roast and been surprised by chewy, woody bits of beef – you've got an overcooked roast on your hands. To ensure a tender roast without overcooking, probe it with a meat thermometer at the minimum cook time depending on the setting (4 hours on high, 8 hours on low).