Super Amish Sunday Pot Roast

Pot roasts are popular among the Amish. The cut of meat used can vary, but big roasting pans full of meat and potatoes and carrots simmering on a Sunday afternoon is quite common in Amish kitchens. Unless you have access to your own freshly butchered steer the freshness will be tough to duplicate in your own kitchen, but you can still follow an Amish recipe and come up with something super. Most Amish cooks will use the freshest cuts of meat available.

Super Amish Sunday Pot Roast is a popular recipe in Amish kitchens but, like so many recipes, there a gazillion variations in recipes, with each family having their own flavors and formulations. What separates out this recipe from some of the others is the addition of hot coffee to the mix, which really infuses it with flavor.

Also, leftover pot roast is popular. Pot roast sandwiches the next day are quite common in Amish kitchens and even show up in some lunch pails.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has some suggestions and tips for using leftover pot roast:

Luscious leftovers. Adding the leftover roast to recipes that contain liquid and where it can be cooked "low and slow" helps reheat it without drying it out. NOTE: If you roasted to a "medium rare" stage, it will no longer be at this degree of doneness but will still be delicious in its new transformation.

Toss into soups and stews
Use in shepherd’s or pot pie
Slice into thin strips, add BBQ sauce, heat and serve in buns
Cut into chunks and use in a chili
Make a French dip (roast is heated slightly in the au jus used with the French dip)
Try cutting it into chunks and make a hash or a goulash

For a simple, tasty treat, serve a slice of cold roast with horseradish mayo on your favorite sandwich bread with lettuce and tomato.

You can see the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's entire "pot roast" page here.

Now, back to the Amish recipe....my parents tried out an Amish recipe that I had from a woman in Shipshewana, Indiana. My Dad was kind of skeptical of trying a pot roast recipe that had coffee as one of the ingredients, but he was quickly sold and I think you will be too. The roast has an easy flavor and according to all who have tasted it melts in your mouth.

This is a 3 pound sirloin tip roast, but you can use rump roast or another cut.

A big roasting pan works best, but if you don't have one, you can use a glass baking dish.

🙋 FAQ

Can this Super Amish Sunday Pot Roast be made in a crockpot?

Yes, this recipe would adapt well to any electric slow-cooker. Just prepare the recipe using the measurements given and adjust cooking methodology for your slow cooker. You'll need to cook it most of the day.

Cover with half the onion slices. My parents added a ton of carrots to their version.

Interestingly, this recipe - the Amish version - didn't call for any carrots, but my parents bathed it in carrots when they made it. And I do think some baby carrots were a good call. You could also experiment and add some green beans, peas, corn, or any other vegetable that you think would pair well with pot roast.

The coffee gives it a darker hue, but also a rich flavor. You can't really taste the coffee per se, but it infuses the meat with flavor (hard to describe).

And as always I'll marvel at my parents portion control!

My parents plate above, a potato with lots of butter and, yes, they are better than I am. I fill up my plate, but they are more restrained.