Pot Roast

This Pot Roast recipe is made with a chuck roast seared and braised in red wine and beef broth with baby potatoes, carrots and celery, then finished with a rich pan gravy. One Dutch oven, 3 hours 50 minutes, serves 8.

Prep Time20

Cook Time3 30

Total Time3 50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dutch oven pot roast, pot roast, pot roast recipe

Servings:

Calories: 593kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

4 pounds beef chuck roast
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion cut into wedges
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine or more broth
4 cups beef broth low sodium
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
1½ pounds baby potatoes
4 carrots cut into chunks
3 stalks celery cut into chunks
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Pat the 4 pound chuck roast dry and season all over with the 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
Heat the 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Sear the roast for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until deeply browned all over. This crust is where a huge amount of the flavor comes from, so do not rush it. Transfer the roast to a plate.
Add the onion wedges to the pot and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until they start to brown. Stir in the 4 cloves minced garlic and 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
Pour in the 1 cup red wine, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom, and let it reduce for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the 4 cups beef broth, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, the thyme, rosemary, and 2 bay leaves.
Return the roast to the pot along with any juices. Cover and transfer to the oven. Braise for 2½ hours.
Add the baby potatoes, carrots, and celery, nestling them around the roast. Cover and braise for another 1 to 1½ hours, until the beef is fork tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
Transfer the roast and vegetables to a platter and tent with foil. Fish out the herb stems and bay leaves.
To make the gravy, whisk the 2 tablespoons flour with a little water until smooth, then whisk it into the pot juices. Simmer on the stovetop for 3 to 4 minutes, until thickened.
Slice or pull the roast, spoon the gravy over everything, and sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons parsley.

Notes

Use chuck. Chuck roast has the fat and connective tissue that break down over hours. Lean cuts like round or rump come out dry and stringy.
Pat the beef dry. Wet beef steams instead of browning, and the sear is a large part of the finished flavor.
Don’t rush the sear. Four to 5 minutes per side, until there’s a real dark crust.
Go by a fork, not a clock. The roast is done when a fork twists and the beef shreds. A tough pot roast is usually undercooked, so cover it and give it another 30 minutes.
Vegetables go in late. Adding them for the final hour keeps them tender instead of falling apart.
Smooth the flour first. Whisk the flour with a little cold water into a slurry before it goes into the pot, or the gravy will be lumpy. Cornstarch works too, 1 tablespoon with 2 tablespoons cold water.
No wine. Use another cup of beef broth in its place.
Make ahead. Pot roast is better the next day. Cool, refrigerate, and reheat covered at 325°F for 30 to 40 minutes.
Storage. Keep the beef, vegetables and gravy together in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freeze the shredded beef in its gravy up to 3 months, without the potatoes.

Nutrition