Is it the same crockpot? It seems a lot of the newer ones burn too hot and that could be the problem.

And I like Chuck roast for my pot roasts or stews, it usually does the fall apart thing when cooked long and slow.

Alexa

Try this:

Cook a chuck roast in the crock pot all day (8 hrs. or so) on low heat. Just the roast itself. No liquid. No veggies. Just the meat.

There are many other methods and embellishments which can be done. However, if you succeed with this most simple method, as I think you will, you will have a base line from which to develop the others.

Jim

Jim:
Do you Brown The Roast first ???
Lou

Well, I don't want my pot roast to be like shredded meat for a sandwich. I want to be able to slice it.
I cook my pot roast in a dutch oven on the stove top or in the oven.
Chuck is a good choice as is bottom round....or even eye of the round, but that has less fat and will be more dense.
A chuck roast should fall apart into shreds if cooked a long time.
Linda c

I use my Waterless Cooker with a lid and bake in the oven.

For a 4 lb. Chuck roast
Sprinkle and rub the Roast with Garlic and Onion Powder.
Brown it on the Range Top using Veg. Oil
Then add a 1/4 cup of Tomato Puree, a half cup of water and
a 1/4 cup of red wine.
and a half cup for the cook.

Put the lid on and into a 325 degree oven for about 4 hours, or until tender.

I add Onions and Potatoes( or any other Veggies you like ) after 2 hours of baking.

Remove the Roast to a platter and cover with foil.

Make Gravy with the drippings .
Lou

The key is long, slow, low heat with just a little added moisture. Too hot a temp will toughen the meat, too much juice will stew the meat and rob the meat of some of its flavor. Just did this last week--the amounts are 'eyeballed', not measured.

The cut was some rump roast, which can be a little dry; chuck would be better, but this turned out very good:

Preheat oven to 300. Cut up some onions, celery and carrots (roughly 2 parts onion, 1 part each celery and carrot--you're making what the French would called a mirepoix). Put about half the mirepoix in the bottom of a Dutch oven or casserole along with a bay leaf or two. Brown the meat in a skillet and put it in the Dutch oven on top of the veggies. Season with salt and pepper and whatever else you like to use--garlic, red pepper, whatever. Strew the rest of the vegetables around and on top of the meat. Add a little liquid--about a cup of chicken broth would do fine. (You're braising this, not stewing this; you don't want the meat swimming in liquid.) Put the lid on the Dutch oven. If you want to be traditional, you can make up a stiff paste of about half flour and half water, and make it into a 'caulk' to seal the lid to the Dutch oven. Put in the oven and leave the heck alone for 4 hours.

You can instead use aluminum foil to help seal the pot; get a piece somewhat bigger than the opening of the pot, cover it, and indent it a little so the foil makes a shallow inverted cone. Put the lid over this piece of foil. Vapors will collect, condense and drip down on the meat.

After about 4 hours, break the seal, remove the meat, drain the juices from the vegetables and make a sauce or gravy with the juices. The vegetables will be pretty mushy, and you may want to toss them; they'll have given up their goodness for a noble cause.

I think cast iron makes the best pot roast. I saved up for awhile to buy a Le Crueset, but it really, REALLY is worth every penny.

I use a nice chuck roast, seasoned and browned in a bit of oil. I then remove the roast and saute the chopped onions, carrots and parsnips (got to have parsnips!). I then add a splash of balsamic vinegar, a can of french onion soup and a can of cream of mushroom soup (I know, I know!), some ground black pepper and a sprinkle of garlic powder. Add the roast back to the pan and cook at 325 for 4-5 hours. SO GOOD!

Arley & Pauline :
Well the Bases are loaded. I think someone hit a home run.
All three sound Basically the same, except my Dutch Oven is heavy Alluminum made in the 30's.
Lou

I agree with Jim. Chuch roast in the crock pot by itself, no liquid & no veggies. Season the meat well with seasoning salt or whatever you like. I tried this for the first time and it turned out great. If you want veggies, I did them in another crockpot by them selves, with a little liquid or stock, They were fine also. When you mix the veggies & the meat it turns into a stew.

I meant Chuck Roast, sorry

Yes Lou, I think any of the above recipes will make a wonderful pot roast! I find the balsamic vinegar or in your recipe, the red wine, does something mahvelous to the meat, lol

calilou: No, it is a different (bigger) crockpot but it does have low, medium & hot settings & I used the medium one for a couple hours but it barely got warm so I turned it to hot & even there it didn't begin to steam/boil. I have just used a big pot with a fair amount of water on the stove & tried it on low for hours & it seemed better. What I want is for the meat to be so tender it will shed easily. Then I take the meat out & let the veggies brown a bit on the bottom. I have always used water or brothe so maybe I should try using less fluid ... would that make it more tender so it falls apart? The way I just did it the meat was tender for slicing but I wanted it like 'jerked' or shredded meat when it was done cooking!

Thanks everyone! I shall try using chuck & less moisture next time. I really like the meat to be so tender as to be shredded or 'cut' with just a fork. I also get confused with the new names the grocery store meat depts. use for cuts of meat that I have not heard before & have to try to find the butcher for advice! Our new 'Golden Corral' restaurants have that pot roast I prefer! Tender it falls apart when lifting it from the serving containers! Guess that is not the most popular method of cooking?!

"Jim:
Do you Brown The Roast first ???
Lou"

This is one case where I am going to say no. That's because I want to vieja to try the most basic, stripped-down method possible before adding other steps. And it will work, because the long slow cooking will brown the meat well. So it isn't really necessary to brown the meat as a first step in this case.

Thanks for asking, Lou. :-) You made me do some quick thinking to preserve my reputation as Mr. Brownwell.

Jim

Jim: ( alias Mr Brownwell )
Your right, I forgot about the meat browning in the CrockPot.

My wife used the Crock Pot a lot. It is now in the Cupboard. I just do fast things now. BUT !!!!!

The gang is coming up this Sunday, so maybe I'll pull it out and try a Chuck Roast.
On second thought, I won't have all that time, so maybe I'll bake it in the Oven,
along with some Biscotti or my Italian Creamy Cheese Cake.
Next time, Lou