r/slowcooking • u/United_Context_2789 • 2d ago

Beef chuck roast, roughly 2.8 lbs, how long?

So I have a new-ish crock pot, maybe 2 years old.

There’s a dish I make called Beef Kaldareta, a Filipino dish. It’s fairly similar to pot roast, just with a different selection of veggies: potatoes, red/green peppers, onion, garlic. I then add frozen peas/okrah at the very end. I’ve also decided to add some canned quail eggs this time around. That’s then simmered in a combination of beef broth, soy sauce, and tomato paste.

Sometimes I’ve made this dish and it turns out amazing, tender, etc… but more often than not, it is tender, but dry… there’s probably been like 2 attempts out of 8 that it’s been perfect.

I see some people say to do low/slow (10 hours), but I’ve also read that it not only being OVERCOOKED, but also UNDERCOOKED, can yield a dry yet tender end result. Also, I’ve read about searing the meat before putting it in the crockpot? I cut them into 1 inch cubes, but I only sear the top/bottom, instead of every side of each piece of meat, to save time. Should I sear every side to keep the juices inside? Would that even make any notable difference???

Any advice? Maybe go by temp instead? I do have a meat thermometer, but I let this slow cook while I’m at work so I’m not able to remove. My girlfriend is off tomorrow though, which is when I plan on cooking it.

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u/JournalistNo146 2d ago

I always do beef stew and beef roast for 9-10 hours on low, and the beef is always fall apart tender.

1

u/princessedesglaces 2d ago

Do you usually cook it in the oven? If so how long does it usually take? 10h is a lot.

1

u/United_Context_2789 2d ago

I usually do it in my 6QT Crockpot. I can either do it for 8/10 hours on low, or 4/6 hours on high.

1

u/mdallen 2d ago

8 hours, on low.

Here's a helpful hint I've picked up as I made beef stew: sear the beef in a pot first. Remove and set on a plate to the side.

Whip together your broth/sauce/liquid in the pot. Deglaze with some broth (~0.5 inch max) and scrape the fond up into the liquid. Add the rest of the liquids/binders and bring to a slow boil. Reduce to a simmer.

In the crockpot: layer veggies (onions first, usually), then the chuck roast, then any other ingredients that'll take a while to cook.

Once the sauce has simmered for ~20 mins, remove from heat and slowly (VERY SLOWLY) pour over beef and veggies. Add any other aromatics.

Turn the crockpot on and forget it.