I do the crock pot thing too, but I sear the roast in a skillet first. I just put a little olive oil in the pan and sear it, nothing else. I have found the roast always comes out tender and juicy when I do that. The few times where I haven't seared it first, the roast did not come out tender or juicy!! Good luck and for more variations allrecipes.com has some great ones for roasts. I have tried a few and the were always very tasty!!