Whether you grew up in New England or the foothills of East Tennessee, your mother probably made pot roast. Chances are she probably used a chuck roast that is both affordable and full of flavor. Unfortunately, it’s also full of fat, twenty-percent to be exact. If you currently make pot roast at home, you don’t have to give up this classic dish. You just need to make it healthy. In this article, I’ll give you tips on not only which cut of meat to choose, but the best way to cook your healthy pot roast as well.
When making healthy pot roast, you need a lean cut of meat. Personally, I prefer sirloin. Sirloin contains less than 10% fat. You can also choose bottom round that has around 15% fat. It all depends on how healthy you want your pot roast to be. Of course, no one said you had to choose beef. You could also choose a pork loin roast, which is very lean as well.
Pot roast is always served with vegetables. The vegetables you will choose, depends on your palate. But, I use carrots, onions, and red potatoes. If you like, you can also throw in a few cloves of garlic, which will add wonderful flavor to both your healthy pot roast and vegetables.
I know what you’re thinking. You thinking back to the lean meat and thinking it’s going to be dry. That would be true if you were going to bake your pot roast. But, I never cook my pot roast in the oven. Instead, I use a slow cooker. A slow cooker allows you to take a healthy cut of meat, which would normally be dry, and cook it gently. This low temperature will allow the healthy meat to cook without losing all of its juices. By the time your healthy pot roast is done, it will be so tender that it will be failing apart.
Of course you need a way to season your healthy pot roast. I suggest keeping it simple and adding cracked black pepper and sea salt. You will be layering your pot roast on top of vegetables in a slow cooker. As the vegetables cook, the onions and garlic will also flavor the meat. But, there is one more way to add flavor and moisture to your healthy pot roast. If you add low sodium beef broth, it will not only infuse the meat with flavor, but it will braise the meat as it slowly cooks.
If you like gravy, remove the meat and vegetables, and pour the broth into a sauce pan. Heat the sauce pan over medium heat and a bit of cornstarch that has been mixed with water. Allow the mixture to come to a boil and thicken. Season as desired, pour over your healthy pot roast, and enjoy.
