Dorothy Dean presents: Zesty Mississippi roast phenomenon ‘owns the internet’

What takes five ingredients, 8 hours and tastes mind-blowingly delicious?

Mississippi roast.

If you haven’t had this internet phenomenon, you haven’t lived.

Pinned more than 1 million times on Pinterest and dubbed “the roast that owns the internet” by the New York Times, this slow-cooker sensation is not one to pass up.

Bursting with flavor, it’s rich and juicy, melt-in-your-mouth tender and takes zero effort to make.

And, again, it’s five ingredients – how could you not make it?!

While there are many versions to be found, I went with Helen’s.

Helen is the mother of my buddy, Paul Brown. She is the sweetest lady. She visits nursing homes, loves Perry Mason, and, like myself, enjoys cooking and sharing recipes.

She also happens to be from Mississippi, where this recipe hails, so using her version was a no-brainer.

It calls for a 4-pound chuck roast, a packet of ranch seasoning, a packet of au jus mix, 1 cup of sliced pepperoncinis and half a stick of butter. An odd combination of ingredients, but it creates the best roast ever!

You dump all the ingredients into a slow cooker, and are you ready? Set it and forget it!

After 8 hours of enduring the enticing aromas, the meat is shredded and ready to be savored.

While it’s tempting to just grab a fork and eat it right out of the slow cooker – which you totally can, no judgment here – it’s great served over mashed or baked potatoes, rice, egg noodles or, my favorite way, on a toasted hoagie and dunked into its own juices French dip-style.

If you’re wondering if the pepperoncinis make this spicy, they don’t. Their vinegar flavor adds a welcomed zesty kick to the dish.

And in typical pot roast fashion, potatoes, onions, carrots or celery can be added. Just place them into the slow cooker during the last 2 hours of cooking.

Mississippi roast

Recipe courtesy of Paul Brown’s mother, Helen.

1 (4-pound) beef chuck roast

1 (1-ounce) packet ranch dressing mix

1 (1-ounce) packet dry au jus mix

1 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers

1/4 cup butter

Coat the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray and place the roast in it. Sprinkle the ranch dressing mix, au jus mix and pepperoncini peppers over the roast and then top with butter.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Shred and serve over mashed potatoes, noodles, rice or rolls.

Audrey Alfaro can be reached at spoonandswallow@yahoo.com.