Cooking a roast can make a simple and delicious meal if you start early and do it right. Most people are not big fans of odd seasonings or fruity tastes in a roast. So, why go through the huge processes to get special seasonings to soak into the roast. By taking the easy route, you can get your meal cooked and served while minimizing the wear and tear on your body and emotions.

Take the easy route to cooking a roast.

Experience says that keeping it simple is always easier on you and usually received best by your family or guests. Do not overlook your crockpot as a way to cook the roast. Start by rubbing in some salt, pepper, and maybe a little garlic powder if you like it. If you want the roast for supper tonight, make sure it is thawed before putting it in the pot.

Make sure to allow enough time for the roast to get tender.

You will need to plan on a thawed roast of up to 4 or 5 pounds needing about 6 or 7 hours in a crock pot to become tender. If the meal is for tomorrow night, just throw it into the crockpot frozen the night before. You can thaw a roast (pork or beef) in a microwave easily in about 20 to 30 minutes. Almost all microwaves today have excellent defrost settings that work well.

Add water and cook the roast on low overnight or on high for cooking during the day.

Once the roast is seasoned and in the pot, add about 1 cup of water. You should set the heat on high and leave it there unless you need to keep the roast warm after it is cooked. Put the lid on and forget it for 8 to 24 hours. You really cannot overcook a roast unless you let it get dry. To avoid letting it dry out, you may need to add water every 4 or 5 hours on high temperature. On low temperature, it should be able to go for 8 hours.

Only add water when it looks like it is going to all boil away.

Check on the roast about every 6 or 8 hours to make sure it has plenty of juice. If you are not sure, just add about 4-8 oz. of water. When the roast can be pulled apart easily with a fork, it's done. Remove it from the pot, place it on a plate or platter and serve it hot. To keep the roast fresh if it finishes cooking to early, turn off the crockpot for an hour or so. Leave the lid on and the roast will stay hot. Turn the crockpot back on with about 30 minutes to an hour to go before serving. If you have to store the roast overnight, let it cool and refrigerate it. You can return it to the crockpot on low about 2 hours before the meal and serve it hot right on time.

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