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Classic Pot Roast recipe old school style. It may not be a slow cooker recipe, but it’s still an easy pot roast recipe that results in the best flavor and the most tender meat.
I’m sure like most of you, the pandemic has our daily life upside down and sideways, so you’re probably thinking this is definitely going to cut into your Tiger King viewing time. I’m not going to lie, it most definitely will—but remember this is an easy pot roast recipe, so just queue up your favorite Spotify playlist and get to work.
Think of this way, this recipe feeds an army, so make this on Saturday and you’ll have left overs through the weekend. And if your boys are anything like mine and object to repeat meals, they have options. Ladle this over a rotation of rice, creamy polenta or egg noodles—see, totally not the same. If you still run into resistance, let them make their own PB&J sandwiches and blend the pot roast for a protein shake and tell them no one leaves the table until plates are cleared and glasses are emptied.
Or if you are feeling kind, freeze half of it and save it for another day that you have dinner duties. Alternately, you can halve the recipe if your freezer is full and your kids don’t like PB&J sandwiches.
Now that we have all that out of the way, let’s get down to the details.
- Method: Yes, I’ve gone pretty old school on this recipe and bypassed the slow cooker. Trust me when I tell you it’s worth the extra effort to do the same. This recipe tested with the slow cooker came up short on flavor and the meat wasn’t nearly as tender. It was almost like I was working with two different recipes. Sure it’s easier, but easier isn’t always better—and it is especially true of pot roast.
- Meat: Chuck roast is the way the way to go. The longer you cook it the more tender it becomes and the more flavorful it becomes. But during this quarantine time, if you can’t find chuck roast, bottom round roast will work. As a side note, my 13-year old actually prefers the latter for the texture since it’s still tender but doesn’t fall apart so easily and he says it tastes “closer to steak.”
- Aromatics: Don’t skip sautéing the onions, celery, and carrots. Like most soups, stews and braises of any sorts, this is a crucial step for flavoring. The fancy term for it is mirepoix. For this recipe, or any recipe that starts with a mirepoix, make sure to utilize the celery leaves. Most people discard them, but they pack a lot of flavor you don’t want to trash. That may go against the classic idea of mirepoix, but this is cooking, not science, so do what tastes best to you.
- Cook time: It’s a guide. The pot roast is ready when the meat is soft, tender and easily falls apart. Depending on how thick your roast is and the shape of your roast, some parts may become more tender and fall apart before another. The takeaway here is, try to buy one that is most uniform in shape and cook it longer if needed. Contrary to other methods of meat cooking and cuts of meat, slow roasting a chuck roast benefits from a long cook time and is nearly impossible to cook too long. In fact, if the meat is tough, most likely it just needs to be cooked longer. It’s not that the meat is under cooked, it just needs more time to tenderize.
This is one of those meals (like most soups) that tastes better the next day. I don’t know the science behind why that is. I just know that this taste 10x better once it sits overnight.
This recipe seems labor intensive, but it’s not hard to do – it’s an easy pot roast recipe to pull off. Yes, it’s a few more steps than throwing it all in a slow cooker, but the payoff is there, so plan a weekend day to make this and you’re set for a few days.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3½ to 4 lbs. chuck roast
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- flour
- 1 large onion
- 5 garlic gloves, peeled and smashed
- 2 cups celery
- 2 cups green onions (leeks will work too)
- 2 cups carrots (white and green parts)
- 2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1 28oz. can of whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 2 tablespoons Worchestire sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 5 stems of thyme
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 lb. baby Dutch yellow potatoes
- 1 lb. baby carrots
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Combine 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. Season the meat on both sides with the salt and pepper mixture. Dredge the whole roast in flour. In a 6 quart Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of oil until it starts to shimmer. Add the meat to the hot oil and sear until nicely browned. about, 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat for other side and ends. Remove the roast and set aside on a large plate.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add the onions, garlic, celery, green onions, carrots, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and 1½ teaspoons pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, bouillon cube, Worchestire sauce tomato paste, thyme and rosemary. Put the roast back into the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiled place the lid on top and transfer to the oven.
- Cook pot roast in the oven at 350F for one hour.
- Turn down the heat to 250F and cook for another 2½ to 3 hours. Remove from oven. Transfer roast to a cutting board. Remove the solids with a strainer and transfer it a food processor fitted with a blade (or transfer to a blender), puree the solids until smooth. Place the puree back into the pot. Whisk together 2 tablespoons flour in 3 tablespoons of water until fully combined, then pour it into sauce. Add the butter to the sauce as well; simmer and stir for 2 minutes. Add potatoes and carrots to sauce, bring to a boil. Once boiled turn down heat and add to roast back to the pot and let simmer for 45 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are fork tender. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over egg noodles or creamy polenta.
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8 comments to "Easy Pot Roast Recipe "
Mary Ann @ the beach house kic
April 26, 2020 AT 12:12AM
We’d really enjoy this meal Matt! It’s one of Tom’s favorites. And leftovers are even better!
I don’t really like pot roast, it’s about the texture, but I love this recipe, if that makes sense. And nothing wrong at all with cooking the old fashioned way!
I don’t really like pot roast, it’s about the texture, but I love this recipe, if that makes sense. And nothing wrong at all with cooking the old fashioned way!
We love pot roasts in this house, and stews and casseroles – especially now that the weather is starting to cool down. I love when the meat is so tender it simply falls apart – and this looks absolutely perfect, Matt! Thanks for sharing.
We love pot roasts in this house, and stews and casseroles – especially now that the weather is starting to cool down. I love when the meat is so tender it simply falls apart – and this looks absolutely perfect, Matt! Thanks for sharing.
i love the picture!
the recipe sounds amazing. its a shame i will have to wait for fall to make this.
i will go with the bottom round as your son suggests.
i came across your blog quite by acident while looking for a taquito recipi. made one with pulled pork that was so yummy baked in the oven.
as it is in the 60’s i may make your pizza. of course i will have to turn it into a gluten free crust.
thank you for your recipes.
my gluten and lactose free blog can be found by typing in mrs. gabby’s kitchen into your browser.
Lucinda
August 2, 2022 AT 11:39AM
What exactly goes into the food processor? This recipe just says remove the meat & move the “solids” to the processor. Yet, I see in the pic, the potatoes did not go thru the processor? Carrots? (Also typos.)
FAQs
What Is the Best Meat for Pot Roast? The best meat for pot roast is a beef cut with abundant connective tissue, like chuck roast, beef brisket or bottom round roast. This connective tissue called collagen is what makes pot roast melt-in-your-mouth tender.
What is the most flavorful roast? ›
What are the best beef roasts?
- Chuck Roast. The boneless chuck roast is among the most popular roasts on the market due to its incredible beefy taste, fat content (it's well marbled), and effortless cooking process. ...
- Rump Roast. ...
- Bottom Round Roast. ...
- Sirloin Tip Roast. ...
- Pot Roast (Shoulder Roast) ...
- Tri-tip. ...
- Picanha.
A surefire way to make a tender, juicy pot roast is through braising; that is, cooking the meat in a small amount of liquid in a tightly covered pot at low temperature. Stove top roast recipes can be customized with your choice of herbs, vegetables, potatoes, and liquid braising mixtures.
Why is my pot roast always dry and tough? ›
The most likely cause of this is overcooking. As meat cooks, its muscle fibers shorten in both length and width and eventually squeeze out the juices they normally hold. As you can imagine, this leaves meat dry, and often stringy in texture. To avoid this problem, choose less-tender cuts of meat.
Does roast get more tender the longer you cook it? ›
Yes, pot roast absolutely becomes more tender the longer it cooks. Roasts are generally made from tougher cuts of meat, such as chuck or brisket, which contain a lot of collagen, connective tissue, and fat. These tougher tissues require a long cooking time to break down and for the collagen to converts into gelatin.
Should pot roast be submerged in liquid? ›
Ultimately, it depends on your preferences and the flavor profile you're aiming to build in your roast, so have fun with it, and don't be afraid to be bold. Just remember there is no need to fully submerge your roast in liquid -- a little goes a long way to making a moist and fork-tender pot roast.
What is the best seasoning for beef? ›
Because of beef's hearty, robust nature, flavor-forward spices like garlic and onion or herbs like rosemary and oregano are the best choices for an unforgettable beef dinner.
How would you enhance the flavor of a roast? ›
Here are some simple ways to add a lot of flavor to your next rib roast. Use mesquite, cherry or apple woods to enhance the beef by adding savory aromas and flavors. Season the outside of the roast with salt and pepper and a little olive oil. Or coat with any other seasonings that you enjoy.
What is the best way to add flavor to roast meats? ›
One is to add a dash of acid to your mix—in the form of lemon or lime juice—to increase the flavor of other compounds. Similarly, adding pepper before searing reduces some of the ingredient's potency. Add other herbs—such as thyme, oregano, or sage—early in the cooking process to achieve the right balance.
What can I add to my pot roast for flavor? ›
The Cast of Characters: Chuck Roast, onions, carrots, salt, pepper, beef stock, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary (if you have it; if not, dried is fine). Optional ingredients: red wine, garlic, button mushrooms.
There are several reasons why this could have happened even after so much cooking. First, your choice of a rump roast could be a factor since cuts from the hind quarter are very muscular and, since muscles are the most resistant to breaking, this cut is quite stubborn when it comes to becoming tender.
How much liquid do you put in a pot roast? ›
Your pot roast should be submerged 2/3rds of the way in its cooking liquid. In this recipe I use 3 1/2 cups of beef stock and 1/2 cup of red wine, so 4 cups of liquid total in a 5.5 quart dutch oven.
Why are my potatoes still hard in the crockpot? ›
Insufficient Liquid: If there wasn't enough liquid in the crockpot, it could have caused uneven cooking. Potatoes need to be fully submerged in liquid to cook evenly. Old Potatoes: Very old or stored potatoes can become starchy and may not soften as well during cooking. It's best to use fresh, firm potatoes.
How do you tenderize a pot roast? ›
Cook it low and slow with some liquid.
Simmering helps break down the connective tissue. Connective tissue breaks down to collagen. Collagen tenderizes, and adds flavor and juiciness to the roast. The size and cut of your roast will determine how long it will need to simmer.
Can you overcook pot roast? ›
Yes, it is possible to overcook a roast or other dishes in a crockpot, even when using the low heat setting for an extended period.
What cut of meat makes the most tender roast? ›
Tenderloin. The most tender roast of all—it's under the spine— with almost no fat or flavor. It's tapered in shape, the middle being the "center cut." The labor involved and waste produced in trimming and tying a tenderloin drives up the price. Top sirloin roast.
What is the best cut of meat for pot roast in a crock pot? ›
There are many different cuts that can be used for crockpot roast from bottom round, to rump roast, to shoulder roast to chuck roast, but for the best crockpot pot roast, use the boneless chuck roast.
What is the most popular meat for a roast dinner? ›
Beef is the most popular meat option
Brits are heavily split on the ideal centrepiece meat for their roast. The most popular option is beef, at 33%, followed by chicken on 27% and lamb on 20%.
