French onion soup became pot roast when 1960s American housewives couldn't afford restaurant prices but craved those caramelized flavors.
French Onion Pot Roast
Get ready to elevate your dinner game with this mouthwatering French Onion Pot Roast! Featuring tender beef slow-cooked to perfection alongside caramelized onions and a splash of savory broth, this dish is the ultimate comfort food for chilly evenings. Trust us, the rich flavors and tender texture make every minute of wait time totally worth it!
Prep
15
min
Cook
210
min
Serves
6
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This bastard child of French onion soup and American pot roast was born when 1960s California housewives discovered Julia Child's cookbook but couldn't be bothered with proper French technique—they dumped everything into one Dutch oven, added cognac to feel sophisticated, and accidentally created something that would make both Escoffier and your grandmother simultaneously proud and horrified at the sheer audacious brilliance.
Regional Twist
In Lyon's bouchons, they swap the chuck roast for beef cheeks and add a splash of local Beaujolais instead of white wine, creating a deeper, more wine-forward braise.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- baguette (to taste)
- 3-4 lb (1.36 kg) chuck roast
- 1 cup (59 ml) cognac
- 1 cup (237 ml) gruyere cheese
- 4 large onions
- 3 cup (177 ml) white wine
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- bay leaves (to taste)
- 4 cups (946 ml) beef broth
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) butter
- flour (to taste)
- garlic (to taste)
- olive oil (to taste)
- thyme (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Season chuck roast very generously with salt and pepper.
- 2
Heat a little oil over high heat in a Dutch oven and sear all sides of the chuck roast for five minutes each until it gets a nice crust. Set roast aside and reduce heat to medium.
- 3
Melt butter in the same pan and add the onions. Reduce heat to low or medium low and cook until onions are golden, about 1 hour.
- 4
Preheat your oven to 325°F.
- 5
Add garlic and then flour. Turn heat back to medium and let flour get golden.
- 6
Add cognac and white wine and let absorb. Slowly add beef broth and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- 7
Return roast to the pan, cover, and bake for 3 to 3.5 hours or until fork tender.
- 8
Remove from oven, discard thyme and bay leaves, and shred beef into large pieces.
- 9
Arrange toasted baguette slices on top and sprinkle with gruyere cheese. Broil until cheese is golden.
- 10
Top with more fresh thyme before serving.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Caramelize onions at 275-285°F surface temperature (medium-low heat) for the full hour to develop complex Maillard compounds without burning the sugars.technique275-285°F surface temp
- ✓Sear the chuck roast to an internal surface temperature of 300-350°F to create a proper crust, which requires maintaining high heat and not moving the meat for the full 5 minutes per side.technique300-350°F surface temp
- ✓Cook the flour roux for exactly 2-3 minutes after adding to eliminate raw flour taste and activate its thickening power through starch gelatinization.timing2-3 minutes
- ✓Deglaze with cognac first, then wine, allowing each to reduce by 50% before adding broth to concentrate flavors and cook off harsh alcohol notes.technique50% reduction
- ✓Maintain oven temperature at exactly 325°F to break down collagen into gelatin over 3+ hours without drying out the muscle fibers through excessive heat.timing325°F for 3+ hours
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
210
min
Serves
6
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
French onion soup became pot roast when 1960s American housewives couldn't afford restaurant prices but craved those caramelized flavors.
French Onion Pot Roast
Get ready to elevate your dinner game with this mouthwatering French Onion Pot Roast! Featuring tender beef slow-cooked to perfection alongside caramelized onions and a splash of savory broth, this dish is the ultimate comfort food for chilly evenings. Trust us, the rich flavors and tender texture make every minute of wait time totally worth it!
The Story
This bastard child of French onion soup and American pot roast was born when 1960s California housewives discovered Julia Child's cookbook but couldn't be bothered with proper French technique—they dumped everything into one Dutch oven, added cognac to feel sophisticated, and accidentally created something that would make both Escoffier and your grandmother simultaneously proud and horrified at the sheer audacious brilliance.
Regional Twist
In Lyon's bouchons, they swap the chuck roast for beef cheeks and add a splash of local Beaujolais instead of white wine, creating a deeper, more wine-forward braise.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- baguette (to taste)
- 3-4 lb (1.36 kg) chuck roast
- 1 cup (59 ml) cognac
- 1 cup (237 ml) gruyere cheese
- 4 large onions
- 3 cup (177 ml) white wine
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- bay leaves (to taste)
- 4 cups (946 ml) beef broth
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) butter
- flour (to taste)
- garlic (to taste)
- olive oil (to taste)
- thyme (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Season chuck roast very generously with salt and pepper.
- 2
Heat a little oil over high heat in a Dutch oven and sear all sides of the chuck roast for five minutes each until it gets a nice crust. Set roast aside and reduce heat to medium.
- 3
Melt butter in the same pan and add the onions. Reduce heat to low or medium low and cook until onions are golden, about 1 hour.
- 4
Preheat your oven to 325°F.
- 5
Add garlic and then flour. Turn heat back to medium and let flour get golden.
- 6
Add cognac and white wine and let absorb. Slowly add beef broth and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- 7
Return roast to the pan, cover, and bake for 3 to 3.5 hours or until fork tender.
- 8
Remove from oven, discard thyme and bay leaves, and shred beef into large pieces.
- 9
Arrange toasted baguette slices on top and sprinkle with gruyere cheese. Broil until cheese is golden.
- 10
Top with more fresh thyme before serving.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Caramelize onions at 275-285°F surface temperature (medium-low heat) for the full hour to develop complex Maillard compounds without burning the sugars.technique275-285°F surface temp
- ✓Sear the chuck roast to an internal surface temperature of 300-350°F to create a proper crust, which requires maintaining high heat and not moving the meat for the full 5 minutes per side.technique300-350°F surface temp
- ✓Cook the flour roux for exactly 2-3 minutes after adding to eliminate raw flour taste and activate its thickening power through starch gelatinization.timing2-3 minutes
- ✓Deglaze with cognac first, then wine, allowing each to reduce by 50% before adding broth to concentrate flavors and cook off harsh alcohol notes.technique50% reduction
- ✓Maintain oven temperature at exactly 325°F to break down collagen into gelatin over 3+ hours without drying out the muscle fibers through excessive heat.timing325°F for 3+ hours