Katy Nix shares her super simple, perfect pot roast! It seems people usually love or hate pot roast. Those in the second category likely haven't had a good one! This version is tender and mouth-watering versus dry and hard to eat (learn which cut of meat to buy!). It is so easy to prepare that you'll find yourself making this again and again. You'll learn how to cook the perfect pot roast and which side dishes to add to make this a full menu to serve to your guests. Hear her tips to create a warm, welcoming home. Stay tuned for her must-have kitchen item and why you need one!
Perfect Pot Roast
Servings: 10 (adapted from The Pioneer Woman)
Roast: 1 whole (4 to 5 pounds) chuck roast
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 whole onions cut in half (or chop if preferred and sauté until beginning to brown and caramelize)
6 whole carrots (up to 8 carrots) cut into 2 inch slices (peeled or unpeeled), or bag of baby carrots
Salt, to taste (coarse kosher salt is best)
Pepper, to taste
1 cup red wine (optional, you can use beef broth instead)
2 to 3 cups beef stock 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, or more to taste (use approx. 1 to 1 ½ teaspoon dried thyme if needed) 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary, or more to taste (use approx. 1 to ½ teaspoon dried rosemary if needed)
Serve with: Mashed potatoes Salad Bread
Directions:
1. First and foremost, choose a nicely marbled piece of meat. This will enhance the flavor of your pot roast like nothing else. Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.
2. Preheat the oven to 275˚. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split) and let it get really hot. *
3. When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other (or sauté chopped onion). Remove the onions to a plate.
4. Throw the carrots into the same hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.
5. If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.
6. With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.
7. When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and 2 or 3 sprigs of fresh thyme (or dried herbs).
8. Put the lid on, then roast in the oven for 3 to 3 ½ hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 to 5 hours. Don’t open oven door. At end of cooking time, check the roast for tenderness (should be very tender). Remove the meat to a cutting board and slice against the grain. Save the juices from the pot and spoon over the meat and mashed potatoes when serving!
*A crockpot can be used. After the first step, place meat into a crockpot along with vegetables. Cook on low for 6-8 hours for a more tender roast (versus cooking on high heat).
Original Recipe: