Moist Methods, Un-Moist Results

I had this trouble before... I seared some round steak then cooked it in the crock pot, according to a couple of different recipes.  Lots of sauce and moist vegetables, but the meat pieces were SO DRY.  I wondered if I may have seared it too long?  I wasn't sure and just avoided the crock pot after that.

Jump to this Sunday when I had the craving for pot roast.  I bought 2 chuck roasts, each about 3 inches thick.  I browned the outsides, then slow-cooked them in liquid, sealed in a pot with a lid, for approximately 3 hours.  





I added potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, and beets and continued cooking it until the veggies were done.  I removed the meat to divide it into serving sizes... One of the roasts was 'OK,' but the other was dry.  It helped that I made gravy out of the remaining liquid, but I didn't want it to be required in order to swallow the meat!


Pot roast and crock pot meals are supposed to be "fool proof" and great choices for beginning, or even non cooks.  So is it me?  The meats I've chosen? Both?