Mississippi Roast Recipe • 4★

Recipe from Robin Chapman

Adapted by Sam Sifton

Updated June 13, 2023

Melina Hammer for The New York Times

An Internet darling of a pot roast recipe, a favorite of mom bloggers and Pinterest, Mississippi Roast is traditionally made by placing a chuck roast in a slow cooker and simmering it beneath a stick of butter, a package of ranch dressing mix, another of “au jus” gravy mix and a handful of pepperoncini. And you can certainly cook it that way. The raves are justified. But replacing the packaged mixes is no real chore, and it results in a luscious tangle of deliciously tangy beef that goes beautifully with mashed or roasted potatoes or egg noodles, or as a hot-sandwich filling. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your roast and the effectiveness of your slow cooker. But six to eight hours generally does the trick. (If you're in the market for a slow-cooker, our colleagues at The Wirecutter have spent a great deal of time testing them. Check out their guide to the best on the market.) —Sam Sifton

Featured in: The Improbable Rise of Mississippi Roast

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1 boneless chuck roast or top or bottom round roast, 3 to 4 pounds

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

¼ cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 to 12 pepperoncini

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

½ teaspoon dried dill

¼ teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon buttermilk, optional

Chopped parsley, for garnish

Step 1Place roast on a cutting board and rub the salt and pepper all over it. Sprinkle the flour all over the seasoned meat and massage it into the flesh.

Place roast on a cutting board and rub the salt and pepper all over it. Sprinkle the flour all over the seasoned meat and massage it into the flesh.

Step 2Heat the oil in a large sauté pan set over high heat until it is shimmering and about to smoke. Place the roast in the pan and brown on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes a side, to create a crust. Remove roast from pan and place it in the bowl of a slow cooker. Add the butter and the pepperoncini to the meat. Put the lid on the slow cooker, and set the machine to low.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan set over high heat until it is shimmering and about to smoke. Place the roast in the pan and brown on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes a side, to create a crust. Remove roast from pan and place it in the bowl of a slow cooker. Add the butter and the pepperoncini to the meat. Put the lid on the slow cooker, and set the machine to low.

Step 3As the roast heats, make a ranch dressing. Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, dill and paprika in a small bowl and whisk to emulsify. Add the buttermilk if using, then whisk again. Remove the lid from the slow cooker and add the dressing. Replace the top and allow to continue cooking, undisturbed, for 6 to 8 hours, or until you can shred the meat easily using 2 forks. Mix the meat with the gravy surrounding it. Garnish with parsley, and serve with egg noodles or roast potatoes, or pile on sandwich rolls, however you like.

As the roast heats, make a ranch dressing. Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, dill and paprika in a small bowl and whisk to emulsify. Add the buttermilk if using, then whisk again. Remove the lid from the slow cooker and add the dressing. Replace the top and allow to continue cooking, undisturbed, for 6 to 8 hours, or until you can shred the meat easily using 2 forks. Mix the meat with the gravy surrounding it. Garnish with parsley, and serve with egg noodles or roast potatoes, or pile on sandwich rolls, however you like.

I don't understand folks fussing about stirring together a few ingredients to make an impromptu "ranch dressing." Also fussing about the amount of fat. You put 6 T of butter in there. What do you expect? It's all delicious! Dump the whole big jar of pepperoncinis in is my only tweak. Y'all leave my Sammy alone. He works hard to bring you this stuff.

Delicious, but Holy Greaseball Batman! Who eats a chuck roast cooked with a stick of butter? Is thatas much fat as the average adult should eat in a year?The butcher removed the outer fat. I seared the roast in olive oil, with no butter, mayo, etc., added 10 pepperoncini, a cup of white wine, 1.5 cups low sodium beef stock, a handful of fresh thyme branches, 6 peeled garlic cloves, & a slight sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes. Then cooked it for 6.5 hrs. Incredibly delicious.

My wife made the recipe. She confused Porcini Mushrooms with Pepperoncini. A delicious mistake.

My roast came out SO DRY. It was almost inedible. What did I do wrong?

Why not make the ranch dressing at the same time you put the roast in the crock?

Mayo/ranch dressing to a slow cooker meat dish?! Good grief, no!

Adapted from Robin Chapman

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017937-mississippi-roast