This new series is going to dive into the various dinners that my family and I have each week. If your family is anything like mine, you’re busy! So, whenever we get the chance to sit down and have a meal as a family, we do! This week was Pork Pot Roast!
Beef Pot Roast vs. Pork Pot Roast
Pot Roast is typically made with either beef or pork but can probably be made with any type of meat that you have on hand. For the purposes of this article, I will only discuss beef pot roast or pork pot roast.
Typically, beef pot roast is made from chuck roast, chuck eye, blade roast or shoulder roast beef cuts. Choosing a cut of beef for your pot roast will require a beef seasoning mixture to make the broth. The texture of the beef is usually desirable for a pot roast as it is tender and moist.
Pork pot roast usually retains the flavor from the seasonings and broth better than the beef. If cooked properly, pork pot roast will be extremely tender and should not require a knife. Pork roast is commonly made with a cut of pork butt.
Some cuts of pork have a higher fat content compared to some cuts of beef, this making pork the less healthy option in some cases. Although, there are some cuts of beef that contain higher amounts of saturated fats, thus making beef the less healthy option for pot roast. Either way, pork and beef products are among the most unhealthy types of meat that a person can consume. In order to truly choose healthier cuts of meat, you will need to use white meats (turkey or chicken).
My review of the Pork Pot Roast kit
Our dinner last night was made using a pork pot roast kit that I purchased from a grocery store. It included everything short of the crockpot to cook it in! The kit is manufactured by Tyson and comes with the cut of pork, a white onion, several small red potatoes, baby carrots, pieces of celery, as well as the seasoning packet. Tyson also makes the kit with a cut of beef and a beef-flavored seasoning packet, though it was not available at the time I purchased the pork.
I began by setting my crockpot to the “low” setting. The whole meal will cook for about 8 hours on this setting and about half the time on the “high” setting. I then poured a cup of water into the crockpot and added the flavor packet to mix and make the broth. After the broth is mixed, I removed the pork from its separate packaging and added it to the crockpot. Next, I chopped each of the vegetables that were included in the kit to my desired size and added them to the crockpot. I placed the lid on, securely, and went about my day.
Approximately 5 hours later, I returned to check on the progress of the pot roast. I flipped the roast, tasted the broth and added salt and garlic and herb seasoning to add more flavor. I noticed the meat felt tender and nearly finished with the cooking process early. I placed the lid back on the crockpot and allowed it to cook for another hour or so. After checking the roast a. Second time, I felt it was time to serve.
My husband is a vegetarian so he enjoyed everything except the pork. We found each of the vegetables were cooked well, seasoned beautifully, and delicious. The pork was tender and savory. You do not need a pot roast kit in order to make this comfort food meal. Just select your desired meat roast, vegetables, seasonings, and make a broth, oh and a crockpot to put it all in. Enjoy!
