How To Get The Perfect Mississippi Pot Roast Without A Slow Cooker

You've probably already heard of Mississippi's famous take on classic pot roast, but if you haven't, picture a tangy, zesty, and slightly spicy pot roast gently cooked in a slow cooker for almost an entire day. While the recipe is notoriously easy to throw together, it can seem like a roadblock if you don't have the all-important vessel: a crock-pot. But rest assured, you can still get the job done without one. In fact, your traditional Dutch oven may even hold the secret to an even more flavorful result (if that's even possible).

Using a Dutch oven gives you the chance to brown the meat first, like you would making a classic pot roast. (Of course, there are some slow cookers that have a searing option, but not all do.) While the perceived benefit that searing meat locks in juices has been debunked, searing before cooking still allows you to maximize flavor by caramelizing the meat's natural sugars. This technique works to develop a rich, savory, and impossibly tender result.

Once the meat has developed a beautiful brown crust, you'll want to remove any excess fat that searing produced (nobody wants an oily pot roast). Then you can toss in the quintessential Mississippi pot roast ingredients — typically a packet of au jus gravy, some ranch seasoning, a stick of butter, and a few pepperoncini peppers — and let it cook low and slow in your oven until tender.

One of the exciting reasons to use a Dutch oven is that you have more room to upgrade the traditional recipe, if you want to. For instance, why not sauté some veggies, like onions and garlic, in some of the rendered fat before putting everything else in the pot? Adding fresh ingredients is an easy way to take things up a notch and make your meal a little more luxurious. 

Another advantage to the Dutch oven method is that, once cooked, you can remove the meat and reduce the leftover liquid to a thicker consistency (this would not be nearly as easy if you were using a slow cooker). Reducing the liquid will give you a richer gravy that'll pack a real flavor punch — and would be a showstopper spooned over some fluffy mashed potatoes. The gravy would also be excellent served alongside roasted potatoes or even poured over the meat on a roll for a tasty sandwich.