Pot roast is typically slow-cooked in a crock pot for several hours. Slow-cooking using a crock pot is helpful for busy people, since meat can cook for ten hours or more without burning. The longer the pot roast is cooked, the more tender it becomes. Unfortunately, not everyone is graced with a crock pot. Luckily, slow-cooking pot roast is also possible on a traditional stove top. Preparing the pot roast for stove-top cooking is much like crock pot preparation, and the meat is just as tender and juicy when finished.
Place the thawed meat into the pot. Fill with water so that about half of the pot roast is covered.
Mix one can of condensed soup with the water. Some options include vegetable beef barley, cream of mushroom, plain beef broth and cream of broccoli. Avoid chicken-based soups. Beef bouillon can also be used instead of soup; however, the water must cover about two-thirds of the meat. Throw two bouillon cubes into the water. They will dissolve while the meat is cooking.
Chop vegetables to cook with the pot roast. Add 1 cup of each vegetable to the pot and mix with the broth. Some options include carrots, potatoes, green peppers and onion. Avoid leafy vegetables such as spinach or lettuce.
Add the desired spices. Because condensed soup and bouillon cubes already have a high salt content, salt is not necessary. Add spices like rosemary, peppercorns or garlic. For a sweeter broth, add about a tablespoon of brown sugar. Mix thoroughly.
Bring the broth to a boil, then cover and let simmer on very low heat for three to four hours. The meat is done when the meat thermometer reads about 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure to insert the meat thermometer so that it is in the center of the pot roast. Uncover and serve when done.