Do I put the pot roast above or below the vegetables in my crock pot?
When cooking a pot roast in a crock pot, do I put the meat above or below the vegetables? And does cooking it on hi or low have effect on this?
Best Answer
Either way should work, though the results might depend on your crockpot's cooking temperatures. ("High" and "low" can create different temperatures on different models.)
It comes down to your personal preferences about:
- How well-done or "mushy" you want the vegetables to be
- Whether you want the vegetables to cook in the meat juices and get the full "meaty" flavor
- Whether you want the meat to be "basted" by the flavor of some vegetables
In general, if you place vegetables on the bottom, hard vegetables like carrots and potatoes will get softer faster, both due to the heat and ultimately being submerged in any juices from the roast. If you cook them very long, they may get quite mushy, which some people like and others don't.
If you place the vegetables on top, some of them may stay firmer, but they often won't absorb as much of the juices from the meat (and any flavors that go with it). On the other hand, aromatic vegetables on top will contribute their own juice to the roast's flavor, so (for example) putting onion slices or quarters on top will allow some of the flavor to seep down gradually onto the meat as it cooks.
Some people find that even with the vegetables on top or on the sides, they still get too mushy for their tastes. In that case, you may want to add the vegetables for the last few hours of cooking only. On the other hand, some people really prefer the mushy texture, and in some crockpots that cook at a lower temperature the steam will not be enough to soften some of the hard vegetables (like carrots) even over many hours on top.
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Quick Answer about "Do I put the pot roast above or below the vegetables in my crock pot?"
Does the meat go on top of the veggies in crock pot?
Place firm, slow-cooking root vegetables like potatoes and carrots at the bottom of the crock and pile the meat on top. Set the heat level: A general rule of thumb is that cooking on the low setting (170 degrees F for most models) takes about twice as long as cooking on high (280 degrees F on most models).Do you put vegetables on top or bottom of roast?
In general, if you place vegetables on the bottom, hard vegetables like carrots and potatoes will get softer faster, both due to the heat and ultimately being submerged in any juices from the roast. If you cook them very long, they may get quite mushy, which some people like and others don't.Do you put roast in crock pot fat side up or down?
When placing the roast in the slow cooker, does the fat side go up or down? Fat side up ALWAYS on any meat that you are slow roasting. Placing the fat side up provides a steady source of moisture and evenly bastes the roast all during the cooking time.SLOW COOKER POT ROAST | an easy crock pot roast for dinner
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Answer 2
I put my veggies on the bottom. Midway, I reverse the meat and veggies or just mix all in. I do not want my root veggies too mushy. I always cook at high temp 6 hours (roast/stew) after browning meats and warming veggies and liquids.
Answer 3
I layered the bottom with carrots and potaotes. Sauteed celery and onion on top after adding dabs of butter to the top of the seared roast. Am cooking it low and slow (290) for 1.5 hrs for a 2.5 roast. I want roast, not stew so I'm not adding any liquid. Dutch oven should seal it.
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