The Method

• To coat a pot roast with kosher salt, use about 1/2 cup of salt for every 5 pounds or roast. Place the roast in a roasting pan and sprinkle the salt evenly over the meat. Press down on the salt with your fingertips to compact it and keep it in place. If you like, combine the salt with minced garlic, pepper, rosemary or other desired seasonings for even more flavor. Let the salted roast stand at room temperature for one hour before you roast it. This standing time allows the meat to warm slightly so it cooks more evenly.

Into the Oven

• Although you can season the roast as you would a prime rib, the cooking methods are not the same. Prime rib comes from the upper rib cage of the steer and is a very tender cut of meat. It needs quick roasting to an internal temperature between 125 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit for medium rare and to 145 degrees F for medium. Most pot roasts are cut from the chuck, brisket, top or bottom round. These cuts are tough and full of connective tissue. They must be cooked at low temperatures for several hours or until the meat reaches an internal temperature between 175 and 185 F. At these higher temperatures, the tough meat fibers break down and the connective tissue melts into gelatin.

Go for the Gravy

• If you plan to serve the pot roast with a gravy or vegetables, you might want to rethink the salt crust seasoning. Some of the salt will inevitably wash into the drippings as the pot roast cooks and will travel to the vegetables, creating overly salty results. In this case, you're better off moderately seasoning the pot roast instead.

Other Options

• A kosher salt crust gives flavor to prime rib and makes a dramatic presentation, but it's not your only option when making pot roast. Try salting the meat ahead instead. Unwrap the roast one to two days before you plan to cook it and salt it generously at a rate of about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt or 1 teaspoon of table salt per pound of meat. Cover the roast with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until you're ready to use it. Bring it to room temperature for one hour before you roast it. Salting a pot roast ahead of time allows the salt to fully permeate the meat for better flavor and a juicier texture.