It’s been about a year and a half since I sat down here at this same computer and started writing a blog post about pot roast.  But that blog post quickly took a turn and morphed into something else.  If you need a good cry, click here to go read it.  It dawned on me the other day that I never did actually share my pot roast recipe recipe and as I whipped it up a couple weeks ago on a rainy Sunday afternoon, I figured I should make good on that promise.

I know a lot of people that think the only way to make a classic pot roast is in a crock pot with a packet of onion soup mix.  There’s nothing wrong at all with that- I make it that way all the time, and we have a great recipe in one of our books for a roast like that.  But if you want something simple, classic, with no instant soup mix, and way quicker than a slow cooker-look no further.

I only use boneless chuck roast when I make pot roast.  I’m very picky about that.  Other cuts of meats are always hit and miss for me and I just don’t think there’s any better cut if you want tender meat.  It’s a flat cut of meat, with plenty of marbling, that looks like the photo above (that’s is a double pack, from Costco).  There’s nothing unusual or surprising about this recipe; it’s about as basic as it gets when it comes to pot roast, but that’s what I love about it.  It’s also very easy to customize.  You can easily mix up the root vegetables, add in a variety of herbs, use red wine with/in place of the beef broth, etc.  Play around with it and I guarantee you’ll find your perfect combo.

You’ll want a heavy dutch oven for this recipe. Le Creuset and Staub are fantastic high end options (my favorite for roasts is my 7qt matte black Staub), but there are also plenty of great options in a lower budget, like this Lodge Brand one . A good Dutch Oven like this will last a long time and be a workhorse in your kitchen!

Instructions

1. Start this recipe by heating your pot to medium-high heat.  Sprinkle your roast on both sides with salt and pepper and add a drizzle of oil to your pan.  Sear both sides for 2-3 minutes until a golden crust develops and then remove from pan and set on a plate or piece of foil like I am. 

2.  Add another drizzle of oil to your empty pan and add onion and carrots to the pan.  Saute for a few minutes in those browned bits from the meat and all the flavors accumulating on the pan are building the layers of flavor.

3. Place the roast back in the pan and nestle it down so it’s on the bottom of the pan and most of the veggies are on the top-ish. Add potatoes and some aromatics (ie: a couple sprigs of rosemary and/or thyme).  I love rosemary in particular, and it adds a lot to the finished flavor of the roast, but if you don’t have any fresh herbs, don’t let that stop you from making this- it will still be great without them.

4. Add one can of beef broth.  Cook it at 300 degrees and time it by 1 hour per pound.  It’s okay if you cook it a little longer than that, but don’t go any shorter.

5. You can serve it straight from the pot like this, or you can jazz up the juices for a little gravy.  If you’d like to go that route, after the roast is done, Spoon the vegetables onto a platter and cover to keep warm, and set the meat on a cutting board.  Then I strain the fat off the juices in the pan using my favorite fat separator (seriously if you don’t have one of these yet– you need one!)

From there you can either just thicken the juices with a cornstarch slurry, or use the juices for a traditional gravy recipe you can find, here.  I just thicken the juices because it’s quick and easy.  Make sure to taste and adjust the seasonings though!  The gravy turns out flavorful and silky and delicious.

I like to serve it like this, with everything in a baking dish, and gravy labeled over.  We serve this with some kind of warm roll or bread and maybe a side salad if I’m feeling like something green out of parental responsibility.

But mostly, it’s all about a shallow bowl, with gravy pooled up on the bottom that you can slurp up with your roll for the best, most comforting one-dish-meal ever.

Oven Braised Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

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• Author: Our Best Bites

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Description

Simple, perfect, tender pot roast with roasted carrots, potatoes and onions. Perfect Sunday dinner!

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Ingredients

• 3–4 lb boneless chuck roast
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
•  3-4 whole carrots cut into 3″ pieces or 8 oz baby carrots
• 1 large onion
• 1.5 lbs potatoes (I prefer baby Yukon Gold or reds)
• 4–5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can beef broth
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• desired aromatics: ie, couple sprigs rosemary or thyme

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Season both sides of roast with kosher salt and pepper. Heat a large dutch oven on the stove top to medium heat. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon oil or butter and swirl to coat bottom surface of pan. Sear roast for 2-3 minutes on each side, until a nice brown crust forms. Remove roast and set aside on a plate or large piece of foil.
3. Add remaining tablespoon of oil or butter to pan and then add carrots, onion, and garlic. Saute 3-4 minutes, until slightly tender.
4. Add the potatoes to the pan and then place the roast back in the pan and nestle it down so it’s near the bottom.  Spoon the veggies around a bit so some are on bottom and some on sides and top. Pour in beef broth and Worcestershire. Place aromatics on top of roast and cover pot with lid.
5. Cook for about 1 hour per pound. It’s okay to cook a little longer, but don’t do any less.  At the end of cooking time, check quickly to make sure meat easily shreds with a fork.  If not, you may need to extend cooking time.
6. When roast is done, remove meat onto a cutting board and veggies onto a serving dish and cover to keep warm. Strain the fat off the juices (I prefer using a fat separator). You can taste and adjust the seasonings of the juices and serve as is, or return them to the pan and thicken to make gravy (see notes below). I like to serve this in a baking dish with all the veggies on one side and the cut/shredded meat on the other and then drizzle with gravy.

Notes

• Gravy: To make a quick gravy, simply combine 1 tablespoon corn starch with 3 tablespoons water. Bring pan juices to a simmer in the pot and add this mixture just a little at a time (you may not need the whole thing) until gravy is thickened. Adjust seasonings as desired using salt and pepper, more Worcestershire, or additional seasoning.
• Customize: Feel free to mix up the herbs or add different spices or other flavoring agents. Mix up the root vegetables, or add red wine along with, or in place of, the beef broth.