American pot roast was invented in 1876 when cowboys slow-cooked tough chuck roast in Dutch ovens over campfires.
Perfect Pot Roast
Get ready to savor a mouthwatering pot roast that guarantees delicious results every time! Using succulent chuck roast, vibrant carrots, and aromatic garlic, this recipe ensures your beef becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender as it simmers low and slow. Dive into comfort food at its finest with every forkful!
Prep
25
min
Cook
240
min
Serves
8
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 2 ribs celery cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
- 1 large yellow onion chopped, or two small onions
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 2 cups beef broth or as needed (480 ml)
- 3 to 4 pounds beef chuck roast or rump roast (1.36-1.81 kg)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- butter for optional roux-based gravy, see notesoptional
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- all-purpose flour or cornstarch, see notesoptional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary (2.5 ml)
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves (2.5 ml)
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1 cup red wine *see note (240 ml)optionalcan be replaced with additional beef broth
📦Other(2)
- 1 pound baby potatoes or chopped red potatoes (454 g)
- 4 carrots cut into 2-inch pieces
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 300°F.
- 2
Season roast with salt and pepper.
- 3
In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat.
- 4
Sear the roast on each side until browned, about 4 minutes per side adding more oil if needed.
- 5
Arrange onions around the roast.
- 6
Combine broth, wine, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Pour over the roast.
- 7
Add bay leaf.
- 8
Bring just to a simmer on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
- 9
Once the broth is simmering, cover and place in the oven and cook for 2 hours.
- 10
Add potatoes, carrots, and celery, cover and cook an additional 2 hours or until the roast and potatoes are fork-tender.
- 11
Discard bay leaf.
- 12
Gently pull beef into large pieces with a fork or slice into thick pieces.
- 13
Serve with juices or make gravy if desired.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Sear the roast at 400-450°F surface temperature (medium-high heat) to create Maillard reactions that develop 600+ flavor compounds, but don't move it for the full 4 minutes per side.technique400-450°F surface temp
- ✓Salt the roast 40-60 minutes before cooking to allow salt to penetrate 6-8mm deep via osmosis, breaking down muscle proteins for better texture.timing40-60 minutes
- ✓Use a 2:1 ratio of beef broth to wine because wine's acidity (pH 3.3-3.8) helps break down collagen into gelatin while broth provides body without overpowering.ingredient2:1 ratio, pH 3.3-3.8
- ✓Maintain oven temperature at exactly 300°F because this keeps internal liquid at 190-200°F, the optimal range for collagen conversion without drying out muscle fibers.equipment300°F oven, 190-200°F internal liquid
- ✓Bring liquid to exactly 185-190°F (gentle simmer with occasional bubbles) before transferring to oven, as a rolling boil will toughen the meat's surface proteins.technique185-190°F simmer
Share this recipe
Prep
25
min
Cook
240
min
Serves
8
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
American pot roast was invented in 1876 when cowboys slow-cooked tough chuck roast in Dutch ovens over campfires.
Perfect Pot Roast
Get ready to savor a mouthwatering pot roast that guarantees delicious results every time! Using succulent chuck roast, vibrant carrots, and aromatic garlic, this recipe ensures your beef becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender as it simmers low and slow. Dive into comfort food at its finest with every forkful!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 2 ribs celery cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
- 1 large yellow onion chopped, or two small onions
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 2 cups beef broth or as needed (480 ml)
- 3 to 4 pounds beef chuck roast or rump roast (1.36-1.81 kg)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- butter for optional roux-based gravy, see notesoptional
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- all-purpose flour or cornstarch, see notesoptional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary (2.5 ml)
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves (2.5 ml)
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1 cup red wine *see note (240 ml)optionalcan be replaced with additional beef broth
📦Other(2)
- 1 pound baby potatoes or chopped red potatoes (454 g)
- 4 carrots cut into 2-inch pieces
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 300°F.
- 2
Season roast with salt and pepper.
- 3
In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat.
- 4
Sear the roast on each side until browned, about 4 minutes per side adding more oil if needed.
- 5
Arrange onions around the roast.
- 6
Combine broth, wine, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Pour over the roast.
- 7
Add bay leaf.
- 8
Bring just to a simmer on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
- 9
Once the broth is simmering, cover and place in the oven and cook for 2 hours.
- 10
Add potatoes, carrots, and celery, cover and cook an additional 2 hours or until the roast and potatoes are fork-tender.
- 11
Discard bay leaf.
- 12
Gently pull beef into large pieces with a fork or slice into thick pieces.
- 13
Serve with juices or make gravy if desired.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Sear the roast at 400-450°F surface temperature (medium-high heat) to create Maillard reactions that develop 600+ flavor compounds, but don't move it for the full 4 minutes per side.technique400-450°F surface temp
- ✓Salt the roast 40-60 minutes before cooking to allow salt to penetrate 6-8mm deep via osmosis, breaking down muscle proteins for better texture.timing40-60 minutes
- ✓Use a 2:1 ratio of beef broth to wine because wine's acidity (pH 3.3-3.8) helps break down collagen into gelatin while broth provides body without overpowering.ingredient2:1 ratio, pH 3.3-3.8
- ✓Maintain oven temperature at exactly 300°F because this keeps internal liquid at 190-200°F, the optimal range for collagen conversion without drying out muscle fibers.equipment300°F oven, 190-200°F internal liquid
- ✓Bring liquid to exactly 185-190°F (gentle simmer with occasional bubbles) before transferring to oven, as a rolling boil will toughen the meat's surface proteins.technique185-190°F simmer