Beef Pot Roast Recipe

Despite its name, pot roast isn't actually roasted, it's braised. Braising is a form of moist-heat cooking that breaks down the connective tissues in tougher cuts of meat, leaving them tender and succulent. Braising doesn't give meats the flavorful, brown outer crust that dry-heat cooking methods like roasting do, so we need to sear the meat on the stovetop first.

You'll need a large dutch oven or brazier for this recipe. It should be big enough to accommodate the meat and stock, and safe for both stovetop and oven. Make sure it has a tight-fitting lid, too.

Also check out this video on how to make pot roast.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs beef chuck or brisket, excess fat removed
• ¼ cup canola oil (or other vegetable oil)
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium ribs celery, chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
• 1 cup canned tomato puree (or canned crushed tomatoes)
• 5 cups brown stock
• -------- For Sachet: --------
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 3-4 fresh parsley stems
• 6 whole black peppercorns
• --------------------------------
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt, to taste

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven to 300°F (150°C).


2. Make a sachet by tying the thyme, peppercorns, parsley and bay leaf into a piece of cheesecloth.


3. In a heavy, cast-iron dutch oven or brazier, heat the oil over high heat, then add the meat and sear it thoroughly, using a pair of tongs to turn it. When a nice brown crust has developed on all sides of the meat, remove it from the pan and set it aside.
   
   TIP: To enhance the browning of the meat, pat off excess moisture with clean paper towels before searing it.


4. Add the carrots, celery, onions and garlic to pot and cook for 5 minutes or so, or until the onion is slightly translucent.


5. Now return the meat to the pot and add the tomato puree, stock and the sachet. Heat on the stovetop until the liquid comes to a boil, then cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer the whole thing to the oven.


6. Cook 4-5 hours or until the meat is tender.


7. Remove pot from the oven, take out the meat and set it aside, covered, while you make the sauce. You can throw away the sachet -- its work is done.


8. You'll see a layer of fat on top of the braising liquid. We're going to use this fat to make a roux for the sauce. Skim off as much fat as you can, and save about ¼ cup of it. You can discard the rest, as it would make the sauce too greasy.


9. Heat the fat in a separate saucepan, then gradually stir in the flour until a paste forms. Heat for a few minutes, stirring, until the roux is a rich brown color.


10. Now return the remaining braising liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer and whisk in the roux. Reduce for about 15 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve and season to taste with Kosher salt.


11. Slice the meat across the grain, arrange slices on warm plates, sauce generously and serve right away.

Serves 6-8.

Also check out this video on how to make pot roast.

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