Pat/Dallas - more ideas about your roast

Hi Pat - I have to agree with Jeanne (I *always* agree with Jeanne!) - you have to "know" your piece of meat and the way it must be cooked in order to get the best results. You didn't mention the piece of meat you used, so it's difficult to say what went wrong, exactly. I have to think that almost any 5-pound piece of meat will be overcooked after 4 or 5 hours of cooking, though (unless it is meant for braising with liquid over a rather low heat - like 300F).

Certain cuts of meat (bottom round, chuck) only work well as "pot roasts" - that is braised in an amount of liquid over low heat for a long period of time. Other cuts (rib, sirloin) would be ruined if braised, and should be roasted (on a rack with no liquid) in higher heat for less time. It has to do with the type of muscle that it is, and therefore how tough it is. Tough cuts need to be braised and served as a pot roast sort of dish - they tend to be less expensive, too. Rib or sirloin roasts aren't as tough and are only tender if served in the quick roast fashion (and rare to medium - anything more well done will be tough).

Here is a website that has been previously posted that lists the cuts of meat and how each is best cooked:

http://www.beef.org/kitchen/beefbasics/basics/cooking_basics.htm

I also agree that following established recipes using the correct cut of meat will be your best bet, at least until you are familiar with cooking individual cuts of meat.

One thing I noticed in your list of ingredients is that you used may prepackaged seasonings, most of which contain a huge amount of salt and preservatives. While I know many people find it more convenient to cook this way, I would like to suggest you find a good cookbook and follow a recipe that doesn't use these prepackaged items for the best results (after all, a big piece of beef is rarely "cheap" and making it with the best ingredients available will pay off in the end). After all, cutting up fresh garlic and onions, and using herbs that most people have on hand, really doesn't take much longer and will give a much nicer outcome!

I hope I've added some additional info for you! If you post a request for recipes using a specific cut of beef, the cooks here on this site will most certainly be able to give you more specific recipes!!

Good luck!