The Simple Fork Test To Check The Doneness Of Slow-Cooked Pot Roast

What exactly makes the best-slow-cooked pot roast? Is it the fall-off-the-bone tenderness of the meat or the sheer drool-inducing golden brown crusty coat? Of course, all these things combine to make the perfect pot roast. However, serving undercooked meat is one sure ticket to a dinner flop, and that's why confirming the doneness of your meaty dish is critical before presenting it to your guests. Since you can't just eyeball your meat and determine its level of doneness, having a fork on hand is what you need in your cooking arsenal. Using a fork, you can dig into the insides of the roast and tell if the meal is ready to eat or not.

Pot roast shouldn't be so rare that it's downright raw, yet neither do you want it overcooked so that it ends up tough and dry. The perfect doneness is when the beef is cooked enough to break down the toughness of the meat but still has its juices intact to create a soft and flavorful finished dish. Here's how to use a fork to know if your roast is done.

To inspect for the doneness of pot roast, wait until you've covered the cooking time indicated in your recipe — it makes no sense to go poking your meat just a few minutes after placing it in the oven. After your meat has had time to cook, you can get a fork and pierce through the thickest part of the meat. If the fork goes in almost effortlessly and feels soft inside, that's a sign your meat is cooked through. Moreover, if you try turning the fork and can easily tear off some of the meat, that's your green light to remove the roast from the pot and call everyone to dinner.

However, if the meat still feels firm and won't budge when you twist your fork, it's not ready yet, and you'll probably end up with a chewy meal if served as is, so give it an extra hour to continue cooking. After that, you can check again with the fork, and once the meat is tender enough, you're good to go. With this mouthwatering meat feast, you can be sure everyone at the table will ask for seconds.