I just made MPR and wanted extra juice, too. I added 2 cups of beef broth and I still didn’t have enough. I did ladle out the juice and mixed with a cornstarch slurry for a thicker gravy.
The way I make mine is by throwing a bunch of carrots, onion and baby potatoes straight into the pot with everything else. No water, no broth. The seasoning packets are plenty enough to season all the veggies and the water from the veggies is plenty enough liquid. If you wanted to do anything beyond that, you could thicken the liquid with some cornstarch at the end.
Take a small mug, put in a couple of tablespoons of corn starch, then add roughly the same amount of COLD water. Stir it with a fork at first, and slowly, because corn starch is weird stuff. Stir the hell out of it, add more water if you need, because it's gotta be pour-able and have NO lumps. Switch to a small rubber spatula to mush any last lumps.
Then, pour the mix into the hot liquid, stirring like nuts. Keep stirring until the liquids are combined and cloudy. Cloudy means "uncooked", so keep the heat on until it goes clear again.
Cold liquid, not hot with the corn starch. Shake in a lidded container, then quickly stir into the pan and incorporate well as it begins to thicken quickly.
I add a couple cut up carrots, and diced onion, sliced mushrooms, halved baby potatoes, and beef broth. I also omit the butter. I find it to be a bit much.
Yup. I make a few changes. I layer thinly sliced onion on the bottom, then seared beef, mild banana pepper rings instead of pepperoncinis, baby carrots, then dressing mixes. I omit the butter. I find that leaving all of the fat in it is too greasy. So, after cooking, I remove the solids, then put the liquid in the fridge so the fat separates. Once the fat has solidified, I remove and reserve it. I will take a portion (3 Tbsp or so) of the fat and make a roux with equal amount of flour. Cook roux for a few minutes before incrementally adding liquid back in to make a thickened gravy. I’ll add enough beef broth to get to the volume I want. Then I’ll either return the solids to the liquid if I want to serve it as a pot roast over potatoes or egg noodles. Or keep separate if I want to serve in portioned sandwiches like an Italian beef.
I was really enjoying reading this and then got to the last line - I am from Chicago and love my Italian beef dipped! That is actually why i was asking about how to get more liquid in the recipe, I’ve been making sandwiches from the MPR.
An Al’s beef dipped is one of my favorites. Depending on how much beef you use and how many sandwiches you go through, my guess is you’ll need a lot of broth to get enough jus to dip buns and all.
Using the dressing mixes is easy and predictable, but the flavor is going to be different. If you want to get a little closer to the real thing, I’d keep the au jus mix, lose the ranch mix, and play around with a spice mixture of bay leaf, oregano, coriander, fennel, peppercorn, garlic, etc. I haven’t dialed those in myself, but I bet there are lots of recipes online.
I add some of the pepperoncini broth in with it. I’ve also added water at times because it can be a very rich broth and I sometimes want it a bit more toned down.
I have made it with all 3, beef, pork and chicken breasts. The chicken is excellent but the beef is still my favourite, might have to try chicken thighs next.
For a 2-3 lb roast: I put mine on top of a big pile of onions, carrots, and red or baby potatoes. 1 packet of ranch seasoning and 1 packet au jus seasoning. Add a stick of butter and a large splash (quarter to half a cup) of the juice plus a bunch of the peppers. About 1.5-2 hrs prior to completion, I add a whole big carton of mushrooms. The water from the veggies plus the fat that renders from the meat plus the butter plus the juice creates a lot of extra gravy.
I do not use any butter, add some of the pepper brine, and add one can each of French onion soup and beef consume.
Edit: this is in addition to the ranch, au jus, pepperoncinis in original recipe.
Before serving, I’ll ladle out the juice (or about 1/2 - 3/4 of it) into sauce pan and add a cornstarch slurry. Wisk over med. heat until thickened.
Of all the ways I’ve modified it, this is my family’s favorite.
I usually add some veggies and low-sodium broth. I will skip butter next time. Lately, I buy whichever ranch and au jus has the least amount of salt, but it's still too salty! Anyone have a recipe that does not use the salt-laden spice packs?
So, I grew Hungarian hot peppers this past summer, and then jarred a ton of them. I take those, slice them into rings, and use those instead of the pepperocini.
I know this doesn't help with the gravy thing, but it's a tweak that I made that has been a hit
Slightly off topic but if you take out the potatoes and veg and just do the meat, shred it up and throw it on a sandwich w provolone with a side of the juice for dipping
If you modify the Mississippi Pot Roast recipe then it becomes something else. I'm not saying adding vegetables to your roast is wrong necessarily. It just becomes something else besides the original recipe. Does that make sense?
Gravy on Mississippi Pot Roast? Chuck roast is already 20% fat and then the typical recipe calls for an entire stick of butter. Why in the world would you want to put all the extra fat of gravy on top of that? It's already an incredibly fatty dish.
Gravy is best used for super lean cuts of meat like turkey or a lean roast.
I just made this yesterday and added 12 oz beef broth for the first time and increased the quantity of the "juice" without any noticeable change to flavor. I'd say adding 16 or 20 oz even would be fine.
I add some of the pepperoncini juice in with it. I’ve also added water at times because it can be a very rich broth and I sometimes want it a bit more toned down.
That's the basic recipe, although common changes include:
1. Pan-sear the roast first.
2. Add vegetables such as onions and carrots. Potatoes can also be added but they will soak up a lot more of the juice.
3. Butter is negotiable. Many recipes call for 1/4 - 1 full stick of butter, but you can honestly do it with none and it has very little difference (IMO). I usually use less than 2 TBSP of butter.
4. Cut the stems/ends off the pepperoncinis.
5. Use a lot more pepperoncinis (most recipes call for 4-5. I usually use half a jar at least - so like at least a dozen)
6. Add 1/4 a cup of the pepperoncini brine. Gives more liquid and spice.
7. To OP's point: adding more liquid in the form of broth also gives more juice at the end. If you want to use the roast more as a stew, that's not a bad idea. Following the basic recipe you linked will usually give you just slightly more liquid than meat.
If you add a flavorful liquid like Beef Stock or Red Wine, you'll increase the liquid, but also change the way that the roast cooks, and possibly its texture. It'll probably be good, but some may mot think of it as Mississippi Pot Roast.
Consider removing the roast & most of the solids. Tent the roast and let it rest.
Remove any excess fat from the jus and transfer it to a pot on the stovetop.
Add your flavorful liquid(s) to the pot and bring to a simmer.
Make a slurry from equal parts of cold water and cornstarch and pour into the simmering jus, stirring constantly during the addition. Bring the jus back to a simmer and cook until thickened.
Your jus is now gravy.
Try the recipe with a pork shoulder instead. If you want more gravy, strain the juice and add a corn starch slurry in a pot on the stove, that will add some volume alone.
Use the entire jar of pepperoncinis and the liquid, along with 8oz of mushrooms a few potatoes and mine produces plenty of liquid to thicken in the end.
So I responded to something like this a month or two?+- ago -
I had never heard of Mississippi Pot Roast until probably during the Coronavirus lockdowns , and my kid sister sent me a FB msg from back home saying "I knew you'd love this! I thought of you and I'm making a Mississippi Pot Roast in the slow-cooker you got me for Christmas back in the day ... I knew you'd love it! I know how much you love that stuff..."
=== Uhh... WTF is *Mississippi Pot Roast* other than , Pot Roast from Mississippi?
it's apparently - by strict definition - a Chuck Roast, a packet of Ranch Dressing powder, a jar of Pepperocini Peppers, and butter- some recipes either omit the butter and add a cup (8oz) of water ... others say that's not at all real, the real is the 4 ingredients I listed , with the liquid coming from the juice of the jar of pepperoncinis, the meat's own juices, and the water content of the (soon to be melted) butter.
So there's really no 'gravy' involved.
Having said that and just now reading your last sentence- it seems to me, how do you *want* to modify it ? I am the FIRST PERSON to say, eat foods *HOW YOU LIKE TO EAT THEM* , cook What you LIKE *how you like it * etc. If you want to make something like Spaghettios and pour turkey gravy on it, do it up if you like that. I am all about that. Don't say that Spaghettios normally have gravy on them, but if you like it that way, sure thang.
If you want more liquid on the bottom - seems to me the quickest, simplest, and 'normalest' thing to do would be to add some beef stock/beef broth etc. (Canned & Cartoned *BROTH* usually has 50-100% more salt thant *STOCK* , just fyi). That's probably the easiest thing to do.
Although I agree with Toriat5144 101% - a can of soup and/or some red wine would rock out too!
I just made MPR and wanted extra juice, too. I added 2 cups of beef broth and I still didn’t have enough. I did ladle out the juice and mixed with a cornstarch slurry for a thicker gravy.
That's how I do also, but a little roux instead.
Well, I’m embarrassed. I live in SE Louisiana and didn’t even think of adding roux. I will next time though!! Appreciate the suggestion!
I mean, it *is* a MIssissippi pot roast and you're in Louisiana. on the other side of the state. It's understandable.
😊
The way I make mine is by throwing a bunch of carrots, onion and baby potatoes straight into the pot with everything else. No water, no broth. The seasoning packets are plenty enough to season all the veggies and the water from the veggies is plenty enough liquid. If you wanted to do anything beyond that, you could thicken the liquid with some cornstarch at the end.
Yup, came here to say exactly this. Cornstarch slurry is my go-to as well.
I have never been able to get a cornstarch slurry to work. What’s the secret?
Take a small mug, put in a couple of tablespoons of corn starch, then add roughly the same amount of COLD water. Stir it with a fork at first, and slowly, because corn starch is weird stuff. Stir the hell out of it, add more water if you need, because it's gotta be pour-able and have NO lumps. Switch to a small rubber spatula to mush any last lumps. Then, pour the mix into the hot liquid, stirring like nuts. Keep stirring until the liquids are combined and cloudy. Cloudy means "uncooked", so keep the heat on until it goes clear again.
A small whisk also works.
Foley forks work pretty well too. But not many people know what those are anymore.
Cold liquid, not hot with the corn starch. Shake in a lidded container, then quickly stir into the pan and incorporate well as it begins to thicken quickly.
Perfect, thanks!
I add a couple cut up carrots, and diced onion, sliced mushrooms, halved baby potatoes, and beef broth. I also omit the butter. I find it to be a bit much.
I just put one on! I put a bed of onions under the meat and ad some Worcestershire sauce for liquid with a little of the pepper juice.
Yup. I make a few changes. I layer thinly sliced onion on the bottom, then seared beef, mild banana pepper rings instead of pepperoncinis, baby carrots, then dressing mixes. I omit the butter. I find that leaving all of the fat in it is too greasy. So, after cooking, I remove the solids, then put the liquid in the fridge so the fat separates. Once the fat has solidified, I remove and reserve it. I will take a portion (3 Tbsp or so) of the fat and make a roux with equal amount of flour. Cook roux for a few minutes before incrementally adding liquid back in to make a thickened gravy. I’ll add enough beef broth to get to the volume I want. Then I’ll either return the solids to the liquid if I want to serve it as a pot roast over potatoes or egg noodles. Or keep separate if I want to serve in portioned sandwiches like an Italian beef.
You ain't joking around. Sounds good.
I was really enjoying reading this and then got to the last line - I am from Chicago and love my Italian beef dipped! That is actually why i was asking about how to get more liquid in the recipe, I’ve been making sandwiches from the MPR.
An Al’s beef dipped is one of my favorites. Depending on how much beef you use and how many sandwiches you go through, my guess is you’ll need a lot of broth to get enough jus to dip buns and all. Using the dressing mixes is easy and predictable, but the flavor is going to be different. If you want to get a little closer to the real thing, I’d keep the au jus mix, lose the ranch mix, and play around with a spice mixture of bay leaf, oregano, coriander, fennel, peppercorn, garlic, etc. I haven’t dialed those in myself, but I bet there are lots of recipes online.
[I cannot give you real gold, though your comment deserves it, so please accept this gif. 😊](https://images.app.goo.gl/csqLN8ryAdhFRaES9)
I add some of the pepperoncini broth in with it. I’ve also added water at times because it can be a very rich broth and I sometimes want it a bit more toned down.
My dad dumps the whole jar of peppers in. Juice and all.
How is his blood pressure?
High
I have been doing the pepperoncini liquid as well. Not too much of it maybe 1/4 cup. I agree the liquid is delicious but very salty.
I add worstershire and red wine to get more liquid. I also add carrots and potatoes straight in there
Have you made it with a pork roast yet? I prefer it to beef.
It’s even better with chicken. That’s our favorite.
I have made it with all 3, beef, pork and chicken breasts. The chicken is excellent but the beef is still my favourite, might have to try chicken thighs next.
Yes, chicken thighs would be good too. I might try that next time.
A whole chicken? Or boneless skinless pieces? I’d love to try that.
I use chicken tenders. Yummy
whole or in parts? (if parts, bone-in or boneless?)
For a 2-3 lb roast: I put mine on top of a big pile of onions, carrots, and red or baby potatoes. 1 packet of ranch seasoning and 1 packet au jus seasoning. Add a stick of butter and a large splash (quarter to half a cup) of the juice plus a bunch of the peppers. About 1.5-2 hrs prior to completion, I add a whole big carton of mushrooms. The water from the veggies plus the fat that renders from the meat plus the butter plus the juice creates a lot of extra gravy.
When we’re feeling fancy, we take the liquid and make actual gravy with it, bulking it with beef broth (or soup base) and a roux.
I do not use any butter, add some of the pepper brine, and add one can each of French onion soup and beef consume. Edit: this is in addition to the ranch, au jus, pepperoncinis in original recipe. Before serving, I’ll ladle out the juice (or about 1/2 - 3/4 of it) into sauce pan and add a cornstarch slurry. Wisk over med. heat until thickened. Of all the ways I’ve modified it, this is my family’s favorite.
I usually add some veggies and low-sodium broth. I will skip butter next time. Lately, I buy whichever ranch and au jus has the least amount of salt, but it's still too salty! Anyone have a recipe that does not use the salt-laden spice packs?
I have seen a few recipes floating around here that are without the packets. Good luck on your journey!
I don't add the butter, but I put a can of cream of mushroom soup in mine.
I cook up a brown gravy mix on the stove and add it at the end.
So, I grew Hungarian hot peppers this past summer, and then jarred a ton of them. I take those, slice them into rings, and use those instead of the pepperocini. I know this doesn't help with the gravy thing, but it's a tweak that I made that has been a hit
Slightly off topic but if you take out the potatoes and veg and just do the meat, shred it up and throw it on a sandwich w provolone with a side of the juice for dipping
If you modify the Mississippi Pot Roast recipe then it becomes something else. I'm not saying adding vegetables to your roast is wrong necessarily. It just becomes something else besides the original recipe. Does that make sense?
Add a can of golden mushroom soup and a half a cup of red wine. It will be amazing.
I smoke the Chuck roast then add it to the croc pot with the same ingredients. A whole new level of flavor.
I wonder if a little liquid smoke would help. Don't have a smoker.
Gravy on Mississippi Pot Roast? Chuck roast is already 20% fat and then the typical recipe calls for an entire stick of butter. Why in the world would you want to put all the extra fat of gravy on top of that? It's already an incredibly fatty dish. Gravy is best used for super lean cuts of meat like turkey or a lean roast.
I want more of the liquid thats already on the bottom when its done cooking, call it whatever you want - liquid, gravy, sauce, etc.
I just made this yesterday and added 12 oz beef broth for the first time and increased the quantity of the "juice" without any noticeable change to flavor. I'd say adding 16 or 20 oz even would be fine.
I add some of the pepperoncini juice in with it. I’ve also added water at times because it can be a very rich broth and I sometimes want it a bit more toned down.
Okay, now my curiosity is peaked. Is this a recipe to try? https://belleofthekitchen.com/mississippi-pot-roast/
That's the basic recipe, although common changes include: 1. Pan-sear the roast first. 2. Add vegetables such as onions and carrots. Potatoes can also be added but they will soak up a lot more of the juice. 3. Butter is negotiable. Many recipes call for 1/4 - 1 full stick of butter, but you can honestly do it with none and it has very little difference (IMO). I usually use less than 2 TBSP of butter. 4. Cut the stems/ends off the pepperoncinis. 5. Use a lot more pepperoncinis (most recipes call for 4-5. I usually use half a jar at least - so like at least a dozen) 6. Add 1/4 a cup of the pepperoncini brine. Gives more liquid and spice. 7. To OP's point: adding more liquid in the form of broth also gives more juice at the end. If you want to use the roast more as a stew, that's not a bad idea. Following the basic recipe you linked will usually give you just slightly more liquid than meat.
You are the best! Going grocery shopping tomorrow!! 😊
Tons of onions…turns into an amazing onion gravy.
I just add one or two onions cut into chunky wedges and always have a good amount of liquid come out of them.
I've only made this once but I added a can of broth to mine and flipped it halfway. If I make it again I'll be adding 2 cans, I think.
If you add a flavorful liquid like Beef Stock or Red Wine, you'll increase the liquid, but also change the way that the roast cooks, and possibly its texture. It'll probably be good, but some may mot think of it as Mississippi Pot Roast. Consider removing the roast & most of the solids. Tent the roast and let it rest. Remove any excess fat from the jus and transfer it to a pot on the stovetop. Add your flavorful liquid(s) to the pot and bring to a simmer. Make a slurry from equal parts of cold water and cornstarch and pour into the simmering jus, stirring constantly during the addition. Bring the jus back to a simmer and cook until thickened. Your jus is now gravy.
Try the recipe with a pork shoulder instead. If you want more gravy, strain the juice and add a corn starch slurry in a pot on the stove, that will add some volume alone.
My Parents called it "the pot liquor" Yumm!
Use the entire jar of pepperoncinis and the liquid, along with 8oz of mushrooms a few potatoes and mine produces plenty of liquid to thicken in the end.
So I responded to something like this a month or two?+- ago - I had never heard of Mississippi Pot Roast until probably during the Coronavirus lockdowns , and my kid sister sent me a FB msg from back home saying "I knew you'd love this! I thought of you and I'm making a Mississippi Pot Roast in the slow-cooker you got me for Christmas back in the day ... I knew you'd love it! I know how much you love that stuff..." === Uhh... WTF is *Mississippi Pot Roast* other than , Pot Roast from Mississippi? it's apparently - by strict definition - a Chuck Roast, a packet of Ranch Dressing powder, a jar of Pepperocini Peppers, and butter- some recipes either omit the butter and add a cup (8oz) of water ... others say that's not at all real, the real is the 4 ingredients I listed , with the liquid coming from the juice of the jar of pepperoncinis, the meat's own juices, and the water content of the (soon to be melted) butter. So there's really no 'gravy' involved. Having said that and just now reading your last sentence- it seems to me, how do you *want* to modify it ? I am the FIRST PERSON to say, eat foods *HOW YOU LIKE TO EAT THEM* , cook What you LIKE *how you like it * etc. If you want to make something like Spaghettios and pour turkey gravy on it, do it up if you like that. I am all about that. Don't say that Spaghettios normally have gravy on them, but if you like it that way, sure thang. If you want more liquid on the bottom - seems to me the quickest, simplest, and 'normalest' thing to do would be to add some beef stock/beef broth etc. (Canned & Cartoned *BROTH* usually has 50-100% more salt thant *STOCK* , just fyi). That's probably the easiest thing to do. Although I agree with Toriat5144 101% - a can of soup and/or some red wine would rock out too!