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–+ servings

Pot Roast Recipe

The ultimate one-pot family meal! This slow cooker beef and vegetable dish features meltingly tender meat and veggies, all enveloped in a rich, gravy-like sauce, far superior to a simple broth. While I prefer using a slow cooker, I've included instructions for pressure cooker, stove, and oven methods to suit your needs.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Pot Roast Recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 kg / 4 lb beef chuck roast rolled
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp each salt and pepper
  • 1 onion large, diced into large pieces
  • 5 garlic cloves smashed
  • 5 carrots peeled and cut into 2.5 cm / 1" pieces
  • 3 celery stalks cut into 4 cm / 1.5" pieces
  • 1 cup 250 ml dry red wine (substitute with beef broth)
  • 3 cups 750 ml reduced salt beef broth
  • 1/3 cup 50 g plain / all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 750 g / 1.5 lb potatoes peeled and cut into 2.5 cm / 1" pieces

Instructions

  • Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
  • Heat the olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Sear the beef until it forms a deep, dark crust, approximately 7 minutes.
  • Transfer the seared beef to the slow cooker.
  • Using the same skillet, sauté the onion and garlic for about 2 minutes until the onion is nicely browned.
  • Add the wine to the skillet, allowing it to reduce by half, then pour this mixture into the slow cooker.
  • Combine the flour with about 1 cup of the beef broth, mixing until there are only small lumps. Add this to the slow cooker.
  • Pour in the remaining beef broth, then add the carrots, celery, rosemary, and thyme.
  • Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours. (Alternatively, pressure cook on HIGH for 45 minutes).
  • Add the potatoes to the slow cooker and continue to cook on LOW for an additional 3 hours. (Or pressure cook on HIGH for 10 minutes; see Note 3b).
  • Once done, remove the beef from the slow cooker and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing it thickly.
  • Taste the sauce and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
  • Serve the beef with the vegetables and a generous amount of the sauce. Bread, such as No Knead Dinner Rolls, No Yeast Irish Soda Bread, or Cheese Muffins, makes an excellent accompaniment for mopping up the delicious sauce.

Notes

Beef chuck is an ideal cut for slow cooking. It can come rolled and tied with string, but it also comes in a thicker, normal roast shape that doesn't need to be rolled. Both versions work wonderfully.
This recipe suits beef weighing between 1 - 2 kg / 2 - 4 lb. The liquid amount is crucial to partially submerge the beef, and the cooking time is determined by the beef's thickness rather than its weight. You can adjust the amount of vegetables based on the size of your beef, and feel free to add other vegetables as well.

Other Beef Cuts

  • Brisket: Works excellently in this recipe.
  • Blade Roast: Will work but is leaner, resulting in tender meat that's not as juicy. This can be compensated by adding plenty of sauce.

Tips

  • Smashed Garlic (2a): Use the side of your knife and the palm of your hand to smash the garlic. It will burst open but remain mostly whole.
  • Cornflour/Cornstarch Gluten-Free Alternative (2b): Mix 1 tbsp cornstarch with a splash of broth and add as per the recipe instead of flour. After the beef is cooked and removed, check the liquid thickness. To thicken, mix 1 tsp cornstarch with a splash of water, add to the liquid, and heat until thickened. Repeat if necessary.

Cooking Methods

Oven (3a):
  • Cover with a lid and cook in a Dutch oven or similar at 300°F/150°C for about 2 hours for 1 - 1.5 kg / 2 - 3 lb, or 3 hours for 2 kg / 4 lb.
  • Add potatoes and cook for another hour until the meat is tender.
Stove (3a):
  • Add 2 more cups of water, cover, and simmer for 2 - 2.5 hours, turning the meat once or twice until it starts to tenderize.
  • Add potatoes and cook for another 30 minutes until the meat is very tender and the potatoes are soft. Monitor the water level.
Adding Potatoes (3b):
  • Adding potatoes later prevents them from disintegrating. If you prefer to add them at the beginning, use red potatoes as they hold up better during long cooking times.

Vegetables

The carrots and celery will become very soft by the end, which adds great flavor to the sauce despite their texture being softer than ideal.

Servings

Allow for 200 - 250 g / 6.5 - 8 oz of uncooked beef per serving, as it will shrink during cooking. The beef pictured was a 2 kg / 4 lb rolled chuck.