You don't have to purchase the most expensive cuts of meat to enjoy a tender oven roast. Create a dry rub using your favorite spices that serves a dual purpose of adding flavor and tenderizing less expensive cuts such as chuck roast, rump roast and brisket. Cheaper roasts have less marbling than sirloin or tenderloin; marbling helps make the roast tender after baking. Cooking time and temperature also play a role in baking a tender oven roast.
Step 1
Place the brisket roast into a roasting pan, and coat both sides of the meat with the salt.
Step 2
Mix the dry rub ingredients -- the chili powder, garlic powder, dry mustard, onion powder, black pepper, sugar and crushed bay leaf -- in a small bowl with a spoon.
Step 3
Coat the roast with the dry rub by rubbing it onto all sides of the meat with your hands. Cover the pan with foil, and refrigerate overnight.
Step 4
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 5
Remove the foil from the roast, and place it in the oven. Bake for one hour.
Step 6
Remove the roast from the oven, and pour 1 1/2 cups of beef stock or water to fill the pan with 1/2 inch of liquid.
Step 7
Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and cover the pan tightly with foil. Cook for three hours, or until the meat feels tender when poked with a fork.
Tip
Add vegetables to the pan with the roast during the last 30 to 45 minutes of cooking.
Alter the dry rub mixture to include your favorite spices. A simple dry for pot roast is 2 tbsp. each of kosher salt and cumin.
Salt helps break down the fibers in the meat, which results in a more tender roast. Marinating with a dry rub also helps tenderize a roast.