Terri Ramsey Beavers It’s hot outside. I mean it’s really hot outside. Because I prefer cooler weather to the heat, I can’t for the life of me turn on my oven for any reason. Not even for a tasty Sunday roast beef lunch. I live in an apartment with a small kitchen that heats up year-round when I use the oven. I had a large kitchen prior to moving here and I didn’t have that trouble. I baked during all four seasons back then, but I’ve had to learn ways to get around that here. Once in a while on rainy days, I do break down and use my crockpot but it also tends to heat up my kitchen so it’s not the best alternative, only a slightly better one.
Having weighed my options on how to continue my tradition of Sunday pot roast, I decided to invest in an electric frying pan and that’s how I’ve been making my Sunday lunch. This past weekend, I decided to document how easy it is to use an electric frying pan for roasts. We’re talking tender roasts at that. Mine were never this tender in the oven nor in the crockpot.
I haven’t used an electric frying pan much in my adulthood although I did when helping my mom cook during my childhood years. To this day my mom uses one all the time and she continues making her Sunday roast in hers. It just made sense for me to try to make mine in one and after making several, I think it was the best decision I’ve made in a while and so far so good, it hasn’t added any heat to my kitchen area.
I make my roasts sort of like my mom used to make ours. She would make tomato gravy with hers but I prefer onion gravy with mine. Sometimes I add in a packet of roast seasoning instead. It just depends on if I’m making masked potatoes or if I decided to throw some in with my roast in my electric frying pan.
To make a roast in an electric frying pan, heat it at 350 degrees and add enough Crisco oil in it (or olive oil) to coat the bottom.
Once water sizzles when you add a drop in it, salt, pepper, and flour your roast and put it in the oil until it’s brown on one side. Then flip it over.
Either when you add the roast or when it’s browned add two chunky diced onions and turn it down as low as it will go for a couple of hours. I’m a low and slow cooker. Even if I’m making something on the stovetop, I use the low setting. Every single time. Turning even 30 minutes or so.
Once your roast is tender, follow the directions on 2 packs of Pioneer brown gravy. If you have other types of brown gravy on hand or prefer to make your own, that works as well. If you’re going to add mushrooms to yours, now would be the time to add them. Add the gravy to your roast and simmer for an additional 30 minutes or until you’re ready to serve it. I wait until I add mine to cook my potatoes and other vegetables.
That’s it. It’s that simple to have a roast that will be so tasty and so tender, you’ll never have complaints. For leftover ideas, try it on a quick and easy open-face sandwich for lunch or supper.
Goes well with rutabagas, rosemary glazed carrots, and mashed potatoes.
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