Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Robert St. John: The Great Pot Roast Cookoff of 2022

 So, there’s this thing called a “Mississippi Pot Roast.” I’ve seen it pop up on my social media over the last several years and I have seen other people comment on it and offer their thoughts online after preparing and eating it. 

Mississippi Pot Roast became a viral internet sensation after a woman in North Mississippi, Robin Chapman, tweaked a roast recipe her grandmother used to make by adding dry Ranch dressing mix, dry au jus mix and— of all things— some pepperoncinis. It was published in a church league cookbook and then on a blog, and then on another blog. After that it took on a life of its own on the World Wide Web and has grown into a thing of legend.

 

Some of the Internet research I did referred to the recipe as “Mississippi Roast” others called it “Mississippi Pot Roast.” They were the same recipe, but I am proudly from Mississippi, and I dearly love my home state. I not only wanted to learn more about this phenomenon (granted a decade too late), but I also wanted to use the correct name. I Googled “Mississippi Roast” and received 91,200 hits in 0.65 seconds. Popular. A quick search for “Mississippi Pot Roast” yielded 167,000 hits in 0.58 seconds. Very popular. So, for the purposes of this column, I will refer to the recipe as Mississippi Pot Roast, even though Chapman, the creator of the recipe appears to have just called it “roast.”

 

Everyone from the New York Times to the folks at Garden & Gun have opined on the recipe. Mississippi Pot Roast has an enthusiastic and loyal legion of fans. 

 

I was skeptical at first. The recipe included store-bought dry Ranch dressing mix, dry au jus mix and pepperoncinis. Not necessarily legit to some folks. I make a damn good pot roast, myself. I, too, am from Mississippi. I thought it might be time to make this Mississippi Pot Roast and compare it to my pot roast recipe— certainly what would be considered a Mississippi pot roast recipe, also. So, I purchased two roasts and the comparison process was underway.

 

My recipe calls for a shoulder roast and the Mississippi Pot Roast recipe calls for a chuck roast. This created a dilemma right off the bat. When comparing recipes, one always wants to compare apples to apples to gain the most accurate result. A shoulder roast is leaner and lends itself to slicing. A chuck roast has more fat and is better for shredding. I went with the shoulder roast on both. 

 

The thing about the Mississippi Pot Roast recipe is that it is simple. Seriously simple— five ingredients dumped into a crock pot. It doesn’t get any easier. Put the roast in the crock pot, sprinkle the two dry mixes over the top, add butter and pepperoncini, close the lid and come back in eight hours.

 

My pot roast— heretofore for the purposes of this column will be referred to brazenly in the third person as RSJ’s Mississippi Pot Roast— is a much more complicated process. It is seasoned and seared on all sides in a skillet before being placed in a roasting pan. Then a peanut butter-colored roux is made in the same skillet to which onions and thyme are added. After a few minutes hot beef broth, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper are added to the roux mixture which is then poured over the roast in the pan, covered, and baked for two hours.

 

While the original Mississippi Pot Roast is cooking in the crock pot, undisturbed, the RSJ Mississippi Pot Roast gets onions and carrots added at the two-hour mark, and potatoes at the three-hour mark. It is done after four hours (though I went a little longer because the roast was a little larger).

 

I brought together a panel of expert taste testers to compare the two dishes, side-by-side— my wife, my mother-in-law, and my Italian goddaughter from Tuscany who is taking a gap year after high school and staying with us over here for a few months (she also helped make the mashed potatoes).

 

Here are the results

 

Ease of Preparation: The Mississippi Pot Roast wins this category hands down. As stated earlier, it was five ingredients thrown into a crock pot and left alone for eight hours. It doesn’t get any easier than that.

 

The RSJ Mississippi Pot Roast took a little prep work and there is a roux preparation involved (nothing hard, just flour and fat cooked low and slow, but some are intimidated by rouxs). There are also two additions at certain points of the cooking process— the addition of carrots and onions and then the addition of potatoes.

 

The mashed potatoes we made were not needed as the had the typical accompanying vegetables and was a true one-pot dish. Winner: Mississippi Pot Roast

 

Degree of Innovation: There is not much innovation involved in the RSJ Mississippi Pot Roast. It’s a fairly straight take on a classic recipe. However, Mrs. Chapman’s Mississippi Pot Roast is something I have never heard of, or even thought of— ranch dressing, butter, and pepperoncinis. Winner: Mississippi Pot Roast 

 

Legitimacy: Most of my chef friends would scoff at any recipe that would use a powdered dressing mix in the preparation of a roast. I understand that Mrs. Chapman’s grandmother made a roast with Italian dressing (which I have heard of) and she wanted to tweak that recipe. Who am I to argue with 10 years of internet viral sharing? Nevertheless… Winner: RSJ Mississippi Pot Roast

 

Eye Appeal: There was a tie among the judges here. The Mississippi Pot Roast was darker and had a nice crust on it, and my wife and mother-in-law thought it looked best (traitors). I probably left the foil tent on too long on the RSJ Mississippi Pot Roast and it had a lighter finish. Tie


Tenderness: The RSJ Mississippi Pot Roast was easier to slice since I used a shoulder roast. The chuck roast used on the Mississippi Pot Roast yielded a drier product. Though it was easier to shred. Winner: RSJ Mississippi Pot Roast

 

Positives of Each: It’s hard to beat five ingredients thrown in a crock pot before work, allowing one to come home to a finished dish. But I think the favorite part of my RSJ Mississippi Pot Roast is the gravy it makes. Seriously, once the roast is finished, all one must do is remove the roast and vegetables and then strain the pan juices through a colander and the resulting gravy needs nothing. It’s perfect in its taste, color, and viscosity. I love gravy. That’s a big positive in my book. Also, the carrots and potatoes are perfectly cooked and seasoned well. The RSJ Mississippi Pot Roast is a full meal. Winner: RSJ Mississippi Pot Roast

Negatives of Each: The RSJ Mississippi Pot Roast is slightly time consuming. And, whereas, the procedures aren’t complicated, it is certainly more involved than the other Mississippi Pot Roast, and you will get a couple of more pans dirty. 

 

I thought the pepperoncini addition added a slight off-flavor to the pan juices, and it didn’t hold up in comparison to the gravy. The juices also came off a little salty tasting. Tie

 

Taste: When it comes down to it, this is the main criteria for any dish for me. And with all due respect to Robin Chapman and the hundreds of thousands who have prepared her viral phenomenon, I favor my RSJ Mississippi Pot Roast. Though the other three judges were very non-committal. I couldn’t tell if they were trying to spare my feelings or if they seriously couldn’t decide which one tasted better. Tie

 

For the record, a Google search for “RSJ Pot Roast” yielded only five results in 0.42 seconds. I’ve got some work to do if I am going to spread the word about my version.

 

Onward.



RSJ’s Mississippi Pot Roast

 

2 ½ -3 lb         Beef shoulder roast

1 Tbl.              Kosher salt

2 tsp.               Black pepper

1 Tbl               Steak Seasoning 

1 /4 cup           Bacon grease (or canola oil)

1 /4 cup           Olive oil

1 /2 cup           Flour

2 cups              Onion, diced + 1 large onion cut into wedges

3 cups              Beef broth, hot

2 large                         Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters

3                      Carrots, peeled and cut into quarters

1 /4 tsp.           Thyme

2 tsp.               Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp.               Salt

1 tsp.               Black pepper

 

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. 

 

Season the beef with Kosher salt, pepper and steak seasoning. In a large heavy-duty skillet, heat the bacon grease over high heat. Brown roast on all sides and place in a roasting pan. 

 

Lower heat on the skillet and add olive oil and flour to make a peanut butter-colored roux. Add diced onions and thyme and continue to cook for four to five minutes. Add hot beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and stir until smooth. Pour liquid into roasting pan with the pot roast.

 

Cover with foil and place in oven. Cook 90 minutes. Remove foil and add carrots and onions. Return to oven and cook uncovered for 45 minutes. Remove, add potatoes and cook for one more hour. 

 

Yield: 8 servings


24 comments:

Anonymous said...

"I went with the shoulder roast on both."

"The RSJ Mississippi Pot Roast was easier to slice since I used a shoulder roast. The chuck roast used on the Mississippi Pot Roast yielded a drier product."

Well, which is it?

Anonymous said...

I smoke the shoulder until the bark sets in then transfer to the cooker.

Anonymous said...

Ooh. Ooh. Ooh.
Yummy.

Hope it’s enough to go around.

Anonymous said...

Lmao @ 1 comment

Anonymous said...

I would say for "pot roast" the RSJ version is probably superior. But, the Mississippi Pot Roast is absolutely meant to be cooked with chuck and all of the fatty goodness that comes with that cut. Because it just falls apart, I don't think the Mississippi Pot Roast works well as a "roast." But it is amazing on a hamburger bun or sub roll. Looking forward to trying the RSJ.

Bill Dees said...

@11:12, that jumped out at me immediately. And I think there might be a bit of "home cooking" (hahahahaha) in the judging.

Anonymous said...

I like my roast shredded to pieces...

Epic Curious said...

11:12....I caught that as well.

In conclusion, RSJ could have summed it up as such:

The RSJ Mississippi Pot Roast is Legitimate.
The Mississippi Pot Roast is Bonafide.

Anonymous said...

I've got a recipe for pot roast that beats both of these by a country mile. It also was arrived at after at least a 12 pack of cheap beer, so it's a bit more Mississippi than St. John's. And plausibly just as Mississippi as a church cookbook original recipe.

Anonymous said...

So KF is now offended by someone smoking meat before it goes into a roasting pan ?

Anonymous said...

If you don’t follow the recipe you can’t compare them. He used a totally different cut of meat than the recipe calls for. Regardless his recipe would be the winner.

Anonymous said...

Is that Mississippi Pot Roast?

Yum yum good.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if Lumumba is pissed of about the Mississippi fairgrounds getting own water well and millsaps following there lead. Only has himself to blame what a moron

Anonymous said...

Wow. The secret finally got out.

No offense to RSJ's Pot Roast, but the MPR is maybe THE easiest and most truly mouthwatering dishes ever made. If you factor both simplicity and serious taste of meaty heaven (with mash potatoes and green beans), the MPR is unmatched by anything.... except maybe a serious vat of Bouillabaisse with some crusty bread, and some Manmosas.... (Champagne, vodka, splash of Gran Marnier, and fresh orange juice).

Stuff About ZeroBear PolyBear said...

ZeroBear's Mississippi Pot Roast

Need:

2-3 pound Chuck Roast (The kind we like)
1 package dry Lipton onion soup mix
2 teaspoons Chopped garlic
1 cam Beef Broth
1 can cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 can water to rinse out the soup can

Mirepoix:
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium/large carrot, chopped

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
2 Heaping Tablespoons AP flour
2 Tablespoons oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Coat roast with flour, salt and black pepper and brown it on both sides (3 minutes on each side) in the pan you will use to cook the roast. Add any remaining flour that was used to dust/coat the roast to the pan when the roast is turned. Continue browning until the addedflour has browned slightly.

Add mirepoix to pan over the roast, then add the dry onion soup mix, the mushroom soup and water rinsed from soup can. beef broth, garlic, and the bay leaves.

Cover pan with lid or foil and cook for 3 - 4 hours in the oven.

If desired (Highly recommended) add 5-6 large carrots cut into 1 inch chunks at 2 hours, the 3 large (Redskin) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-2 inch chunks at 2 1/2 hours. Chech progress at 3 hours and then (Most likely), cook another hour until the carrots are fork tender and the roast is pull apart tender. The recipe makes a delicious gravy and great roast. Remove bay leaves when roast has finished cooking.

Make rice to go with gravy.

Anonymous said...

Let me compare my recipe to that of another popular recipe. Let me first just not use the main ingredient of the competitor. Now let’s see how this works out.

Anonymous said...

Are one of these crock-pot roasts on the menu at RSJ's new Fondren
"Capri bowling alley,tiki bar,theater and burger venue" ?

Anonymous said...

You lost me when they used a “crock pot!” First off, you use a Dutch oven. Next, the only beef that won’t be dry as hell is Prime or Wagyu. The other alternative is lamb. Crock Pot, what a bunch of Crock. LOL So let’s get down to some real cooking. Use Beef Broth and Demi Glacé, course salt and pepper. Fingerling potatoes, not that Idaho crap and Onions and carrots. No ranch dressing mix, YUK, no Worcestershire sauce, no flour-WTF is that for, and NO NO NO celery-this ain’t a freaking salad. Now go enjoy to the delight of your family and friends

Anonymous said...

The ranch dressing mix and jar of peppers in a roast is not good at all to me. It's truly overpowering. Maybe the people who thinks it is haven't ever had properly prepared pot roast.

RSJ didn't mention how much a good quality balsamic vinegar could add to the taste.

I think RSJ comparing recipes makes a very interesting column. Thanks.

I wonder what he thinks of Julia Child.

Anonymous said...

Pass the mashed potatoes!

Anonymous said...

@ February 16, 2022 at 7:50 PM

Yawn! So, impressed.

Anonymous said...

OK. So, er, an older bass boat with an sputtering motor pulls skiers across a lake better than a brand new Lexus crossover, cats don't give birth to puppies, and two recipes which share little or nothing as to fundamental purpose, ingredients, or preparation are difficult to compare. But as to ties, it's a real contest as whether RSJ or Dan Berger produce the more interesting article for those who might be interested in the (broad) subjects each attempts to address. Winner: pot roast, with or without packets of crap, jars of peppers, or Crock-pottery.

Anonymous said...

Try these two...
Easiest traditional Pot Roast..

English or Chuck Roast (about 3 lbs.) One packet of ranch dressing mix, one packet of brown gravy mix(I use low sodium mix), one packet of Italian dressing mix and one cup of water. Place roast in crock pot, sprinkle with three mixes and pour in one cup of water. Cook for 8 hours on low.

Yoste Roast (aka Mississippi Roast)

English or Chuck Roast (approx 3 lbs) one packet of Italian dressing, one jar of sliced pepperoncinis with the juice. Put the roast in the pot, sprinkle with Italian dressing mix and pour in the sliced pepperoncinis. Cook for eight hours and shred with a fork. Serve over rice or my favorite make po-boys with New Orleans french bread and provolone cheese!!! This is delicious and you don't need the unhealthy butter.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if these recipes will make it through the gauntlet:

Jackson Pot Roast 1

10 People
1 Restaurant
0 Dollars

Go into restaurant. Order huge meal, taking care to order lots of whatever are the most expensive items on the menu. Start riot and throw highchairs - preferably empty - around dining room. Run out of restaurant. (Over)Feeds 10.

Jackson Pot Roast 2

10 People
2-3 Stolen Late Model Ford Trucks
14 Stolen Guns (Optional: Extra high-capacity magazines and shoplifted ammunition)
1 Parking Lot

Shoot guns at each other while doing doughnuts in parking lot. Doesn't actually feed anyone, but there's about a 10% chance that there will be less folks to feed when the ammo finally runs out.


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