What are you making and what method of cooking are you using? I bet there are thrillers who can help :)
The easiest way I cook a large hunk o meat:
Take a frozen (or thawed) large chunk - arm roast or chuck roast or sirloin roast - ours are usually cut about 3 fingers thick, so 1-1/2"? (or I will pile up a bunch of meaty ribs, stew meat and soup bones and treat the same way).
Put about 1/4" to 1/2" of water in the bottom of a roasting pan (9"x13" cake pan or whatever you have).
Put the meat in the pan and sprinkle generously with some kind of "dry rub" - grill seasoning or whatever. Cover pan tightly with foil bake at 350°F all afternoon, occasionally checking to make sure there is still water in the pan.
About an hour before you want to serve it, take the foil off when most of the water in the pan is gone and everything is starting to look dark brown, add at least another 1/2" (or more) of water to the pan you have to wait until the stuff in the pan is *really* dark brown to give you that dark beefy flavor.
When the meat is falling apart and the fat is crunchy, it's done.
Use the juice straight, or make gravy with it - no coloring crap needed!
If you like potato/carrot/onion baked in with it, add at the beginning or sometime along the way as desired.
We usually eat one big meal from this, then lots of left overs (because I usually fill the pan) It's like beefy crack - you just can't stop eating it, dipping bread in it, etc. The onions and carrots get a little caramelized, the potatoes soak up some of the juice. yum (oh - and I do pretty much the same thing with chicken)
Denise
(10/26/10)
For the crockpot, use the cheap cuts of meat. Skip the onion soup mix.
For one to two lbs of meat -- stew meat, brisket, pot roast, etc. -- put in the meat, about 1/2 to 1 chopped onion, and either 1 16-oz. can of diced tomatoes or 1 8-oz. can of tomato sauce. Add a few glugs of Worcestershire sauce and olive oil. If you want, you can also add a glug of red wine or orange juice, and maybe a bay leaf or two. Then, add enough water or stock (chicken, beef, or vegetable stock) to barely cover the meat.
Turn on the crockpot and walk away. You'll need about 6-10 hours on low, or about 4-5 on high. Or, if you're around the house for the early part of the cooking, put it on high for about 2 hours, then switch to low for the next several hours.
If you're around about 1-1/2 to 2 hours before serving, you can add some diced potatoes and/or carrots.
About 15-30 minutes before serving, add your herbs and spices. Lately, I've been using a lot of garlic powder, a pinch or two of basil and oregano, and salt to taste. I'd add tabasco or sriracha except that my kids don't like spicy food. Put in some herbs/spices, taste, then add more if desired.
The above is a basic stew or pot-roast. The juices will be thin, more of a soup than a sauce. If you want a thicker sauce, mix a few tablespoons of flour to the liquid before you turn on the crockpot.
If you're feeling ambitious, you can brown the meat before you put it in the crockpot. Dredge the meat in flour if you'd like to (or not) and brown the meat pieces in olive oil. Put everything in the crockpot, then deglaze the pan with water and add that to the crockpot, too. But it's not necessary if you're not feeling ambitious.
If you don't cook it long enough, the meat will be tough. If you cook it too long, it will seem dry. Use that as a guide for next time.
I find that herbs and spices fade after several hours in the crockpot. For me, it makes more sense to add them shortly before serving.
jp
(10/26/11)
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