The Roast Ingredient Most People Skip That Adds Major Flavor

The pot roast is a dish that feels intimately woven into American cuisine. It is a Crockpot favorite, and likely to be the first food to test out any new slow cooker. It's the plate that fills up even the pickiest eater, and can be an economical meal for crowds when grocery bills get high. But among the pantheon of culinary dishes that appear homely yet are sneakily difficult to cook, pot roast may be near the top. Home cooks have to walk a fine line; one side is an incredibly tender dinner, the other, accidentally boiling a large cut of beef into a tough hunk. Fortunately, there are ingredients that turn said thin line into a wider and easier path to follow, leading to delicious results. One roast ingredient — or, rather, a class of ingredients that does just this is? Acid.

Adding an acid into your pot roast is a (nearly) surefire way to soften the meat into a succulent texture. Anyone who is familiar with marinading meats knows this drill. Certain acids play an effective role at denaturing proteins, which means that on a chemical level, their shape changes and moisture can then bond more readily with the meat, leading to tenderness. Acids also affect our taste buds, triggering saliva which contains enzymes that can tenderize protein right in our mouths. The other huge benefit of acids in a pot roast is that while your roast slowly cooks, certain acids in the liquid also help improve flavor. Luckily, there are tons of ways to add a unique flavor to your pot roast via some very tasty acidic ingredients.

Start by considering the viral sensation, Mississippi pot roast, which calls for using pepperoncini peppers. This brined ingredient adds a tangy, slightly spicy flavor while imparting the acidic ingredient that will do work behind the scenes. A half-cup of zipping brine can be balanced by butter fat and tempered by a pinch of salt, and then you're looking at a roast that hits four core flavor profiles.

If peppers are not your jam, consider an acidic ingredient that will deepen the flavors already present instead of adding something completely new. Red wine, either alone or in combination with a dry white wine is a great pot roast choice. In particular, red wine has a decent amount of acid, and a better amount of tannins, which work enzymatically to tenderize your meat. A splosh of red wine vinegar can also work in a similar way, but wine adds additional flavor layers here.

To go for something that is zestier, with a lighter lift, lemon juice or dijon mustard would be your course of action. You won't need much of either, a tablespoon or two at most, and with the mustard, make sure it's fully blended with your cooking liquid before that lid is secured.

And while you're busy perfecting your pot roast recipe, do check out these mistakes that people make with pot roast, too.