Is there a section on measurement translations! I heard an American cup is different from European? When you say 1 cup of liquid how much is that in MLs? my cup says 250 ml but when I weigh it on scales it's less(about 180).

Volume and weight measurements are often not the same. An extreme example would be: 1 cup of rocks do not weigh the same as 1 cup of feathers - even though they are both 1 cup. Volume and weight aren't equal in this case. It is also true that there are different standards for "cups" depending on where you live.

We do not have a conversion tool on Rouxbe as of yet, but there are plenty of other resources online that you can refer to. There have been several discussions on this in the forum. Check out: conversion tools and calculator.

Also, the great thing about learning the skills and techniques behind making a great pot roast is that you do not need to know exact measurements, you merely need to know what to look for. If you haven't already, be sure to check out the cooking school lesson on "How to Pot Roast" and also the lesson on "Combination Cooking Fundamentals".

Cheers!

I'm planning on cooking this pot roast recipe the day before Fathers Day and serving it to my partner and his daughter on Sunday. I think they will love it. I'll report back.

I made this pot roast last night and I'm so proud to say that it was the first time I've made a roast that was tender. Thanks so much for the good instruction! My husband said it was the best he's had! Unfortunately, we left it out all night (unrefrigerated). My husband searched online and found a recommendation to cook it for awhile longer to kill any bacteria. I was thinking that we should throw it away. What's your opinion? (If it helps, I finished it at 6:30pm and it's now 6:30am).

First, congrats on making a great pot roast. Sorry about the accident. Glad to hear you enjoy ROUXBE. I've been here for two years and continue to enjoy the entire course. Now for the bad news, please dispose of the roast. The latest word from Serv-Safe is that bacteria grows wild between 41 and 141 degree F. As a consulation, I've had the same accident, and I am sure there are more than two of us! Best regards from North Carolina.Terry

I don't understand this unreasonable fear of bacteria. My grandma used to leave pot roast on the stove overnight all the time (and soup, and other food), and nobody in my family ever died of bacteria poisoning.

Michael Ruhlman has a few interesting things to say: http://ruhlman.com/2011/08/stock-clarifications/ Follow the links for a variety of different opinions.

Personally I would have no problem heating it back up and let it simmer for a while. In fact, pot roast is often even better the day after.

I'm not saying you should be careless with food, it's of course better to cool and refrigerate, and I do, and my grandma would have too had she known about bacteria :). I'm just saying that if I were to realize in the morning that I forgot to put last night's pot roast in the fridge, I might simmer it for longer than I would just to reheat it, but I would certainly not throw it away.

Thanks, Terry and Daniel! My husband has decided that he's still going to eat it after cooking it again (he's eaten some really questionable things over the years) but I think me and our toddler will skip it. We'll see what happens to him first. : )

Years ago, I was given this advice. "when in doubt, throw it out". I have to say, that this is the motto that I personally go with. Getting sick (potentially very sick) is not worth it to me, even though it can be hard to do throw food away as you feel as though you are wasting etc.

The links that Daniela posted are also very interesting as well. Thanks for posting those and thanks to all of you that commented as well. Nice to see you all looking out for each other :-) Cheers!

I grew up with a doctor in the family and unless it was in the summer when temperatures kept the house really warm we never worried if we left the food out then reheated. My mom would make stuffed cabbage in a large roaster and there would never have been enough refrigerator space to store it so it was always left out.

A family of 9 and no one ever got sick. I'm no expert, but we waste far too much food in this country and it's about time we learn we aren't as fragile as the media wants to make us think. Try it, you'll like it.

Sandy, you and many others have been very lucky. Having been a professional chef for many years, one certified in food safety, there is a reason why we all have refrigerators.

Rouxbe'ites. You have been warned. If you leave something like meat, fish, etc, out overnight and then decide to eat it, cross your fingers. People have become very sick from this, some have even died. It's extremely rare, but it happens. It's also the reason that every food service employee has to go through food safety training.

We hope to do a lesson or two on this in the future and then you may think twice before you reach for the un-refridgerated delight. This has nothing to do with wasting food. Food banks and shelters will also throw out food that could have become contaminated.

Thanks for sharing though! :-)

Ice bath/cooling big meat dishes or stock quickly question:
We have been experimenting with making stocks and are surprised how long it takes a big pot of stock (or pot roast?) to cool in a sink full of ice cubes and water. We have been using a thermopen. If we are not to stir the stock so as to keep the fat from emulsifying into it, how do we quickly lower the temp to a safe level before refrigerating it? I'm going to make this pot roast on Monday and would like to know the best way to chill it prior to refrigerating it so I can let the fat solidify on top overnight.

As food professionals, and as a culinary institute teaching food professionals, you have no choice but to say that overnight stovetop storage of any food is a no-no. You have to have an airtight system where all food is always treated the same way, for very good reason.

I have gotten food poisoning a number of times from eating out, even at pretty good restaurants. Apparently, even though common sense food safety is supposed to reign in such environments, rules are broken all over. You only have to watch an episode of Kitchen Nightmares to realize how bad things can get. I'm not a food pro, and no expert by any means, but my guess is that the bigger problem is not so much the one meal that gets left out, but systematically not cleaning the kitchen properly, or not washing tasting spoons, or not sanitizing cutting boards, or not separating raw from cooked meats, things like that.

I'm not trying to advocate against food safety, but I do think that this fear of bacteria is sometimes a bit unreasonable. In my entire life I have never gotten sick from food at home, where we regularly leave food out for "too long" in an otherwise clean kitchen.

By the way, I would be very interested in lessons about food safety, and learn how to do those things properly, I do think that is very important.

Meat close to 4 lbs. Cooked at 225 then at 250 c for more than 5 hrs. Still pink on the outside cuts and tough! Tried this recipe twice with far less than great results so ,,,, won't be trying it again until I understand what is going on. I did see the braising & pot roast lessons as well.

My first guess is that you may want to invest in an oven thermometer to test the internal temperature of your oven. The meat should not still be pink/look raw on the outside after this much time. Ovens can be off by as much as 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This may be the culprit and your oven setting may be just far too low.

You can also cook the roast at a higher temperature. It is really up to you and the time that you have. Just make sure you are choosing a good cut of meat with plenty of connective tissue/fat as shown in the Combination Cooking Fundamentals lesson.

Keep us posted. Would be curious to know the true temperature of your oven. Cheers!

Hi Kimberley - It was my guess too that the oven temp was off the first time but this last time I did use a thermometer and the oven temp was accurate. So that's not it. Both roasts were Bottom Blade roasts with what I thought was enough marbling etc.but now I think it's gotta be the cut of beef that is responsible for these results. What do you think? Everything else I did was exactly the way it was supposed to be done.

Come to think of it, I'm not sure why the outside of the meat would be pink (in regards to your first comment). Are you not searing the roast prior to braising it to add more flavor? The toughness could potentially be the cut you are using...and some roasts are just better than others. I would experiment with the shoulder cut and also try a different butcher. That can often make a big difference. Also, remember that cooking meats at a lower temperature can take quite a while depending on the size etc. so be sure to check for doneness by making sure it is fork tender. Hope that helps. Cheers!

Yes - I seared all sides with both attempts. I tried the "fork tender" check too and it failed miserably after 5 hrs. I knew it would be pink before I cut into it. I will try again using a shoulder cut next time as its gotta be the cut I used. thx for the help!

Keep in mind Terry that you may also have just needed to cook it longer. I have cooked meats for 5 hrs before and they were no were near done at that point. Sometimes certain cuts and pieces just need more time. Just a couple of weeks ago, I cooked a pork shoulder for 10 hours at 200˚F.

Whatever you do, don't give up! :-) Cheers!

Thanks Dawn - I think this was one of those 10 hr ones! Good to know for next time ( too late for this time :(

Would brisket work in this recipe? Not a corned beef brisket, just a brisket joint? I cured my own brisket a while ago and after cooking it didn't slice well, but fell apart. May have cooked too long.

Indeed, as per the lessons on "Combination Cooking Fundamentals" and "Pot Roasting" many different cuts, such as brisket, could be cooked in this manner. Cheers!

Would it be okay if I left the pot roast to cool in the refrigerator for two days or would it not work?

If by "cool in the refrigerator" you mean, is it okay to leave the pot roast for two days, once it has been cooled properly, then yes you can. That's the one of the great things about braising, you can do it well in advance and it better than the day it was made. Hope that helps. Cheers!