Old Bay Southern Style Yankee Pot Roast

I love using Old Bay with pork recipes. As a seasoning, it is more associated with fish and chicken, but it is so good on meats! Oh, and it can turn an ordinary batch of home fries into something divine, but I digress. Back to the roast.

For this recipe I’ve used a Boston butt, just over 5 pounds. The “butt” is a cut of meat that is taken just above the shoulder. Why do they call it a butt when it is a shoulder? Interesting question and inquiring minds want to know. I decided to look it up. Apparently back before the Revolutionary War in the New England area, this cut of meat was typically packed in barrels they called “butts”. And the particular cut of the meat was apparently peculiar to Boston. Anyway that’s what Wiki had to say on the matter. 

Always affordable, pork roast was something my mother often cooked for our large family.  Even as a child I was never much of a meat eater, but it was still one of my favorite family meals because I loved the flavor of the carrots, potatoes, and onions that she cooked in with the roast. So savory!

Now that I’ve convinced you to cook this amazing roast, so let’s begin. Preheat your oven to 300. This is a very slooooow cook. Yes indeed. This will take 6-7 hours depending on how done you like your roast. At our house, we like them fully cooked. No pink to be found.  

Don’t let the hours of slow cooking scare you, this roast will be so tender you can cut it with fork, even after 7 whole hours. It’s because it is cooking at such a low temperature. It is perfect for shredding, but we prefer ours just cut off in big tender chunks. 

Wash the roast and pat it dry. Transfer it to a large oven safe baking/roasting dish. I cook mine in a dutch oven, but any largish baking dish will do. If it doesn’t have a lid you’ll need to cover it with foil. 

Put it in with the fat side facing up. You want those delicious juices to drain down and flavor the meat. Score it with cuts about a half inch all the way across the length of the meat. 

Now, mix together one packet or 1 teaspoon or SODIUM FREE chicken bullion and one cup of hot water. If you can’t find or don’t have sodium free chicken bullion, DO NOT use the regular kind. It will add way too much salt. Just substitute a cup of chicken brother or stock instead of the bullion. Stir the bullion up in the water and pour the mixture into the bottom of the roasting pan. This will add soooo much flavor. 

Now, please believe me, this will NOT make your roast taste like chicken. Not even remotely. I’m not even sure what exactly it does add, but whatever it is, it is delicious. Can’t put my finger on exactly what it is, but it makes a really big difference.

Sprinkle a generous amount of garlic powder (NOT garlic salt) all over the roast. Then sprinkle an equally generous amount of Old Bay seasoning over it too. This is going to be one savory roast!

Using a small bowl, mix together 2 teaspoons of brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of dark mustard, 1 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning blend, and 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce. Stir it all up.

Rub the mixture all over the top and sides of the roast.

Now cover and bake at 300 degrees for 3 and 1/2 hours. (But this isn’t the end! This is just the first roast. There will be a second one.) During this first roast, find the time cut get your veggies ready. Cut and quarter 6 unpeeled potatoes, (okay, go on peel them if you insist!) Cut about 8 carrots into medium sized pieces (as with the potatoes you can skin them if you like, I leave mined unskinned.) Peel, cut and quarter two large onions.After the first roast, add these veggies to the pot, snugging them up around the meat. Cover and return to 300 degree oven and cook for an additional 2-3 and 1/2 more hours. Serve and enjoy! The drippings in the bottom of the pan and delicious poured over the veggies!

Fork tender, every time!

Remember to Love Hard, Laugh Loudly, and Eat Like a Boss (Southern Style!)

Printable recipe below.

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