Pork roast in a DO

BarryL

Member
I just got a 6 Quart DO a couple of weeks ago and I want to try baking a 3-4 lb pork roast in it. Any suggestions as to how long and what temp?

I have cooked quite a few in a Crock Pot in those I do about 8-10 hours on low. Would this be a shorter time frame for the same results?
 
Barry, as you mentioned baking it appears you want to do this in the oven. The most important thing here is what cut of pork roast are we talking about? Then, as one does not bake a roast do you want to braise or roast it? Are we adding veggies? Knowing these things will allow one to determine the temperature and time.

Hilditch
 
Yes I was thinking of adding the usual carrots, onion, potatoes, celery type of thing, and I was thinking of using the oven for better heat control.

As far as the meat, it will most likely be a cheap boneless roast I haven't bought that yet.

Note: I will brown the meat in the DO before adding the other stuff and putting the lid on it. I am not wanting a stew so just enough water to get things started.
 
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It sounds like you are trying to turn the DO into a crockpot. The oven would shorten the time if you got the exact same temp as your crockpot but that is close to impossible so you would have to babysit and adjust for the temp during the cooking just as you would if you had your crockpot on high.

The less expensive cuts like to be cooked low and slow which takes more attention in an oven. If this is a crockpot recipe that turned out well in the crockpot, I'd suggest using the crockpot unless you want to spend a few hours babysitting. If you get a braising or roasting recipe that is a different story.

Hilditch
 
I don't normally use a recipe, I just toss stuff in and cook it. About the only time a measure anything is if I am making pancakes from scratch ( you need to get the baking powder right). I am just a country boy that likes to keep it simple and full of flavor.
 
As implied, there are other considerations around which cut you use and how you prep it, but regarding the original question, aim for an internal temp of 180 degrees which should take about 40 minutes per lb at 300 degrees oven temp.

Another trick is after cooking the roast then letting it rest for at least half an hour, crank up the oven to 475 degrees then put the roast back in for about 15 mins. This gets the outside nice and crispy. I would probably do that on a clean baking sheet instead of back in the DO.

From a terminology POV, roasting and baking are essentially the same thing, indirect heat in the oven, but the technical difference is this: cooking something that already has a solid structure, like meat and vegetables, is roasting. With baking, the solid structure is created during the cooking process, such as a ball of dough turning into a cookie.
 
Thanks Eric,

That was the information I was looking for. I will try the browning trick as well (if the roast is not falling apart).

I guess I may be a little out of my league on these forums, because I am no gourmet, I mostly just cook traditional southern dishes like I have been eating all of my life.
 
180 internal sounds like a good point to shoot for for a pork shoulder roast with a lot of connective tissue to break down and intramuscular fat to keep things moist. But too high for pork loin, which I fear would end up overcooked and dry, or at least tough, even in a braising environment. Really need to know exactly which cut you intend to use for best advice and results.
 
Yes, the 180 was assuming a cheaper cut, I agree that'd be too high for a nice loin. In general it's very easy to overcook pork and make it tough. Brining can also help with retaining moisture.

USDA food safety guidelines for pork roasts are a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees.

BTW that crisping step, it should be done uncovered if that wasn't already obvious.
 
I am planning on getting a cheap cut, I made the mistake of doing a loin roast like that one time I won't repeat that one. I was thinking about a shoulder roast as those are readily available in the size range I was wanting.

I have always done some cooking, but I have had to take over all of it the past 3 years because of my wife having health issues, so I am still learning a lot of things.
 
Well I cooked a boneless shoulder roast tonight. The roast was a little bigger than I had planned (5lbs), but it turned out great. Thanks for the cooking time information.

The next time I do this I will get a 3-4 LB like I had planned because I didn't have enough room for as many of the potatoes as I would have liked.
 
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