Using Leftover Roast Beef - Recipes And Ideas For Using Pot Roast (2024)

FAQs

Is there a difference between pot roast and roast beef? ›

Pot roast is indeed a roast-style cut of beef, but not one you'd typically see used for roast beef, and not at all cooked the same way. Pot roast involves tough cuts rendered to fall-apart tenderness with the gentle application of moist heat over a long period of time. These are only the top-level differences.

One of my favorite ways is to make braised beef. Thick-slice the roast (1/4 in thick or so), then cut the slices into bite-sized cubes. Put these in a deep pan and add a can of beef broth (about a cup), a cup of water, and a half-cup of red wine.

Yes, pot roast absolutely becomes more tender the longer it cooks. Roasts are generally made from tougher cuts of meat, such as chuck or brisket, which contain a lot of collagen, connective tissue, and fat. These tougher tissues require a long cooking time to break down and for the collagen to converts into gelatin.

If you love meltingly tender, slow cooked roast beef and deeply flavoured gravy, this pot roast recipe is for you!

Tough cuts of meat like the rump roast require low heat for an extended time (in contrast to quick-cooking high heat for a ribeye steak). The long cooking time allows the tough connective tissue to break down and the firm collagen to liquefy into gelatin, which makes for a juicy and succulent pot roast.

Simmering in a little bit of liquid or broth is a great way to tenderize. Acidity can also be your friend here. A little bit of vinegar and lemon juice in the liquid can help you tenderize the meat.

If put in the freezer, beef can be eaten 3 months later. However, if put in the refrigerator, cooked beef can be eaten 2 weeks later and raw beef can be eaten 1 week later.

Place the leftover roast in a pan and cover with foil.

To retain the succulent quality of the meat, add a little au jus from the previous day, or add 1/4 cup of low-sodium beef stock. Place in an oven preheated to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for approximately 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the piece.

Traditionally, this means the meat is partially covered in liquid and cooked for hours until it becomes juicy and tender.

Why is my pot roast always tough? ›

With lots of connective tissue (also known as collagen), these cuts can be tough if undercooked or hurried along in the cooking process. However, with slow-cooker pot roast, pressure cooker pot roast, or low-and-slow braised pot roast, the collagen breaks up for tender, succulent meat.

Whether you cook your pot roast using a stovetop, oven, slow cooker, or pressure cooker method, you'll always get the most tender and flavorful results if you use low temperatures over a long period of time. That's what it takes to melt down the tough connective tissue in the meat until you can cut it with a fork.

Incorporate herbs such as rosemary, thyme, or bay leaves, and spices like garlic powder, paprika, or a hint of cumin. These seasonings build layers of flavor that penetrate the meat during the slow-cooking process. Slow cooking is key to a mouth-watering pot roast.

The key to cooking pot roast is cooking it low and slow. The meat should just fall apart, hence the name, and if it doesn't, you probably have not cooked it long enough. Also, I like to cook the potatoes separately, as they tend to be a little to mushy for my liking when you cook them with the roast.

Round Roast Cut

Look for rump roast or bottom round roast. The leanest of the three most common pot roast cuts, it has a fine grain which makes it great for slicing, but it lacks the big, beefy flavor of the other two cuts.

Beef round roasts suitable for pot roasting are round tip, round rump, bottom round and eye round roasts. Most beef round and chuck pot roasts can be used interchangeably, with only slight adjustments in cooking time.

Tenderloin. The most tender roast of all—it's under the spine— with almost no fat or flavor. It's tapered in shape, the middle being the "center cut." The labor involved and waste produced in trimming and tying a tenderloin drives up the price. Top sirloin roast.