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Slow cooking a roast ensures consistent cooking through the meat. The temperature of the oven is kept low for a longer period of time, which raises the internal temperature of the roast slowly. This type of cooking avoids having the outside of the meat overcooked and the center pieces undercooked. Almost any type of meat can be used when slow cooking. Large, tender cuts of beef or pork will respond well to this method. Slow cook an even and juicy roast with these steps.



  1. 1
    Bring the roast close to room temperature. Remove the roast from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (121 degrees C).
  2. 2
    Prepare the roast. If there is a lot of fat on the roast, score it with a knife in a criss-cross pattern. Sprinkle the roast with salt and pepper and rub some oil onto it by hand. Use vegetable oil or olive oil to achieve the Maillard Reaction, which is the caramelization of the outside of the roast. During the slow cooking process, this will give the roast a crust.
  3. 3
    Place the roast (fat side up) on a pan with a rack. Using a shallow pan with a rack will prevent the roast from steaming in its own juices. The rack will ensure the heat circulates evenly and freely.
  4. 4
    Put the roast in the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees F (93 degrees C).
  5. 5
    Slow cook a roast for 4 to 5 hours. The cooking time depends on the size of the roast. A 5 lb. (2.27 kg) rib roast takes about 4 hours.
  6. 6
    Remove the roast from the oven when it reaches an internal temperature of 118 degrees F (48 degrees C). Use a meat thermometer to ensure the proper temperature has been reached. Once it is out of the oven, cover it with aluminum foil to make sure it does not cool. It will go back into a very hot oven to create a crust around the roast, and leaving it in the oven while the oven heats up to a higher temperature may result in overcooked meat.
  7. 7
    Turn the oven up to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). When the oven reaches 500 degrees, remove the foil and put the roast back in the oven. Roasting meat at this high temperature will allow the fat on the outside of the roast to become crispy, and the center of the roast will also finish cooking.
  8. 8
    Cook the roast to preferred temperature. With a meat thermometer, check the temperature of the roast and remove it when desired heat is achieved. For a rare roast, remove at 125 degrees F (52 degrees C). For a medium roast, remove it at 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). For well done meat, remove the roast at 160 degrees F (71 degrees C).
  9. 9
    Remove the roast from the oven and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. To serve, slice thinly against the grain of meat.
  10. 10


  • If a pan with a rack is not available, place the meat on sturdy foods such as onions or carrots to keep it from getting too wet.
  • Do not open the oven while the roast is cooking. This will allow heat to escape and increase cooking time.

Things You'll Need

  • Uncooked roast
  • Knife
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Oil
  • Roasting pan with rack
  • Aluminum foil
  • Meat thermometer

Article Info

Categories: Beef and Lamb

In other languages:

Español: asar carne a fuego lento, Português: Assar um Pedaço de Carne em Fogo Baixo, Italiano: Arrostire la Carne a Fuoco Lento, Deutsch: Braten bei niedriger Temperatur garen, Русский: медленно приготовить кусок мяса, Français: faire cuire un rôti lentement

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