A pot roast is hearty, delicious, and can easily feed a crowd. It’s the perfect solution for a dinner party or a simple weekend meal shared with family or friends. Many American homes call it their favorite Sunday dinner. Still, it’s enjoyable any day of the week if you’re not too busy to cook it.
The aroma of fresh herbs mixed with the cooking meat and vegetables will fill your home so much that your neighbors may even catch a whiff and call to see what your plans are for the evening. It really is a meal that’s paired well with the expression, “The more, the merrier.”
In this article, we’ll walk you through how to prepare the perfect juicy pot roast in your oven, share some vegetables that pair wonderfully with it, and which cuts of beef to use, too. We’ll also share one of the best pot roast recipes and some tips to ensure that it’s a success.
If you've ever heard the term "one-pot meal," pot roast is one of the originals. It is an excellent meal to make from tougher cuts of beef that are typically less expensive. The ideal cuts for pot roast recipes are chuck roast, round roast, and beef brisket. Unlike a roast beef recipe, where you roast the beef dry in the oven, a pot roast is more tender and less likely to hold its shape when cut.
Pot roasts are cooked over low heat for a more extended time, making them juicy and flavourful. But first, you'll want to sear roast is seared in a skillet to help tenderize the meat. Vegetables typically roast alongside the beef, which you can later serve as a delicious side dish. While it may sound intimidating to deal with an entire roast, the oven does most of the work for you. Think of yourself as more of the supervisor of this endeavor.
Pot roast vegetables
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Carrots: Baby carrots or peeled carrots cut into thick chunks make an excellent addition to roast beef. Avoid using small pieces or slices, as they will turn mushy.
Onions: Coarsely chopped white or yellow onions are ideal for this dish.
Potatoes: You can use any type of potatoes you’d like. However, russet or Yukon golds pair well with roast. You can use whole mini potatoes or cut them into large chunks. For this recipe, if you’d prefer roasted potatoes instead of serving the roast over mashed spuds, add the potatoes when you add the carrots.
Garlic: Minced garlic will become mild as the beef cooks and add a savory flavor to the meat.
Get creative: Add your favorites such as mushrooms, celery, peas, beans, and more. Make sure to accommodate quick-cooking vegetables by adding them in later.
Best roasts for making pot roast
The ideal beef cuts for making pot roast are chuck, round, and brisket.
Chuck roast: Chuck will turn out the softest and easiest to shred. The finished result is tender, juicy, and easily breaks apart.
Beef brisket: Beef brisket is firm enough that it's sliceable yet tender.
Round roast: Round roast is the firmest of these three cuts, but it's still easy to slice apart. It's also the leanest.
Using an oven or slow cooker
If you use a slow cooker to make your pot roast, you can expect a longer cooking time, typically around eight hours. You’ll need to sear your meat in a skillet first before adding it to the cooker. When using an oven, you can sear right in the Dutch oven you’re roasting in. Cooking typically takes nearly half the time, at three to four hours.
Tips for the perfect pot roast
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When selecting a roast, choose one with marbling for extra flavor.
Ensure you cut the carrots, potatoes, and other vegetables into large chunks versus dicing them to avoid overcooking.
Use washed mini potatoes if you want to cut back on preparation time.
Check the roast every hour or so to make sure the liquid levels are acceptable, adding some water if it’s too low.
Cooking over low heat will result in a pot roast that is more tender and delicious. Avoid turning up the heat to speed up the cooking process, as this will result in a tougher roast.
How to cook a pot roast
This recipe makes six servings, takes 10 minutes of preparation time and three hours and 30 minutes cooking time for a total time of three hours and 40 minutes.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds of the roast of your choice
2 onions, sliced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 carrots cut into chunks
See AlsoOur 35 Best Steak Recipes3 cups beef stock
1 cup red wine
2 sprigs thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 sprig rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Equal servings of mashed potatoes, optional
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350℉.
In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Ensure you use a cast-iron Dutch oven that is safe for both stovetop and oven use. You can also use a roasting pan.
Carefully add the roast to the Dutch oven and sear each side for one to two minutes.
Remove the roast and set it aside.
Sauté the onions in the bottom of the Dutch oven for three minutes before stirring in the garlic.
Add the wine to deglaze the Dutch oven, using a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom and sides. If you’re unfamiliar with deglazing, you’re essentially using a liquid, like the wine, to release the flavors of the bits of beef in the bottom of the Dutch oven.
After scraping the sides and bottom, add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
Place the roast back into the pot, covering it with the liquid, and put it in the oven.
Once the time is up, remove the pot roast from the Dutch oven and let it stand for 10-15 minutes.
As it stands, place the Dutch oven over high heat on the stove and bring the liquid to a boil, uncovered, allowing it to reduce to make a sauce.
If you find the mixture is not reducing, you can mix a half tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of broth until it’s smooth. Pouring this mixture in will help thicken it.
Serve immediately atop mashed potatoes, drizzled with the sauce.
Nutritional values
Calories: 527
Carbohydrates: 14 grams
Protein: 48 grams
Fat: 26 grams
Saturated fat: 11 grams
Cholesterol: 156 milligrams
Sodium: 1230 milligrams
Fiber: 1 gram
Sugar: 5 grams
Original recipe: Sunday Supper Movement
Bring everyone to the table.
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