The Princess was using a crock pot for Sunday dinners. I asked her to roast it in the oven. The families reaction was remarkable! There were always left- overs with crock pot. The oven roasted has little or no left overs.
Ben
I can imagine the difference! The darker brown the roast is, the better the flavor. And the pan drippings make the BEST gravy! I put some water in the bottom of the pan to prevent the roast from drying out but not enough to cover the roast.
" After you remove the meat, you’ll find a beautiful brown color coating the bottom of the pan. You can also find it in the bottom of a roasting pan after you remove your
beef roast or
pork loin. There is a lot of flavor in that brown coating and the easiest way to unlock that flavor is by deglazing."
I know I have talked about my grandmother's roast beef for Sunday dinner, served with mashed potatoes and gravy. That was the best. When the potatoes were gone, Grandpa would tear up bread and put gravy on it. It was one of his favorite things to eat.
Another thing about beef and pork is that fat is what gives it good flavor when cooked in an oven so that it can brown. The fat needs to be marbled throughout the meat. Lean cuts such as pork tenderloin has no fat in the main part of the meat, and is therefore not as flavorful imho. A roast that has little pieces of fat throughout the meat (marbling) will dissolve when cooked. That is what causes the meat to be tender and flavorful when browned.
Remove the meat from the pan when it is done cooking, and do one of two things. Skim the fat if there is too much, and add an equal amount of flour to make a roux. Or flour or cornstarch mixed with water into a thinner sauce like liquid. The flour mixed into the grease makes a roux, where you then add water to make the gravy. How much water? It is an educated guess. Heat and stir it, add salt and pepper. Cook until the gravy thickens. If too thick, add more water or flour and water. I usually use corn starch with water in a cup and stir it in. Either flour or cornstarch work, but I prefer to use cornstarch because of my daughter's gluten allergy.