When our friends Kathy and Len came for dinner and a movie at our house they brought with them a six-pack of root beer. After a fun evening of food, laughter, movie and dessert they left a couple of bottles of remaining root beer. Those bottles sat in my refrigerator for a while and on a whim I started looking up recipes to make with root beer.
I found a Root Beer Pot Roasted from the October 2004 issue of Southern Living. Since I had a roast in the freezer this was a perfect fit. Little did I know when I started out to use up the root beer this would be a blog-worthy recipe!
Most generally when meat calls for browning, I do that on the BBQ grill. I don’t like the poppin’ mess of grease that occurs when I brown in a dutch oven on my stove. This method is no clean-up (just turn off the grill and give it a scrape with the brush) and it also gives meat a mighty great start to by sealing in juices and adding flavor!
Back in the house I made a mixture of chopped onions, root beer, chili sauce, garlic, and a little sprinkling of wine. (SL didn’t include wine but I can’t put a roast in the crock pot without some red wine … it changes everything!)
Everything goes into the crock on high for 1 hour and then one low for 6 to 8 to 10 hours. That means it is done in 6 hours but it is fabulous in 8 to 10 hours!
Remove meat and carrots to a serving platter. Pour all other juices and sauce into a fat separator. Let this sit for a few minutes so the fat will rise to the top, then pour off the ready-to-sere luscious sauce!
I don’t make pot roast very often. But when I do, I want my family to flip over it. They did. Thank you Kathy for leaving me your lovely delicious root beer.
Happy Cooking!
~Blessings, Catherine
- 1 4 to 6 pound roast, i.e. chuck, eye of round, your choice
- Salt and pepper to taste*
- 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 (12 ounce) bottle of root beer (not diet)
- 1 (12 ounce) bottle of chili sauce
- ½ cup red wine (any kind works)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 package small carrots - optional
- Sprinkle roast on both sides with salt and pepper.*
- Heat BBQ grill to high, turn down to medium and brown both sides of the roast, about 10 minutes each. (Can be done in a dutch oven on stop top in 1 tablespoon of heated oil.)
- While roast is browning mix remaining ingredients in a medium size bowl or large measuring cup.
- Remove meat from the grill and place in a Crock pot turned on HIGH.
- Keep on high for 1 hour and then turn down to low until you are ready to eat. (6 to 10 hours)
- Two hours before eating, add a package of small carrots and stir to get a bit of sauce and juice on the carrots.
- Minutes before ready to eat, remove meat and carrots to a serving tray.
- Pour juices and sauce into a fat separator. Fat will rise to top, pour off sauce onto the meat/carrots.
- Enjoy!
** Carrots optional but they are wonderful cooked along with meat.
Recipe adapted from Southern Living