Classic Pot Roast with Root Vegetables
By America's Test KitchenPublished on May 1, 2013
Time
4¾ to 5¼ hours, plus 1 hour standing
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
1 (3 ½- to 4-pound) boneless beef chuck-eye roast, pulled into two pieces at natural seam and trimmed of large knobs of fatKosher salt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 medium onions, halved and sliced thin (about 2 cups)1 large carrot, chopped medium (about 1 cup)1 celery rib, chopped medium (about ¾ cup)2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)1 cup beef broth, plus 1 to 2 cups for sauce (see note)½ cup dry red wine, plus ¼ cup for sauce1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 bay leaf 1 sprig plus ¼ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves Ground black pepper 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces1 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and halved lengthwise, each half quartered
Before You Begin
Our recommended beef broth is Rachael Ray Stock-in-a-Box Beef Flavored Stock. Chilling the whole cooked pot roast overnight improves its flavor and makes it moister and easier to slice; for instructions, see “Make-Ahead Pot Roast.”
Instructions
- Sprinkle pieces of meat with 1 tablespoon salt (1½ teaspoons if using table salt), place on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet, and let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Heat butter in heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add carrot and celery; continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes longer. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 1 cup broth, ½ cup wine, tomato paste, bay leaf, and thyme sprig; bring to simmer.
- Pat beef dry with paper towels and season generously with pepper. Using 3 pieces of kitchen twine, tie each piece of meat into loaf shape for even cooking.
- Nestle meat on top of vegetables. Cover pot tightly with large piece of foil and cover with lid; transfer pot to oven. Cook beef for three hours flipping halfway through cooking. Remove pot from oven and add large pieces of carrots, parsnips, and potatoes. Return to oven, and continue to cook until vegetables and beef are fully tender and sharp knife easily slips in and out of meat, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer large pieces of carrot, parsnip, and potato to serving platter using slotted spoon, cover tightly with foil, and proceed with recipe as directed.
- Transfer roasts to cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Strain liquid through mesh strainer into 4-cup liquid measuring cup. Discard bay leaf and thyme sprig. Transfer vegetables to blender jar. Allow liquid to settle 5 minutes, then skim any fat off surface. Add beef broth as necessary to bring liquid amount to 3 cups. Place liquid in blender with vegetables and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer sauce to medium saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat.
- While sauce heats, remove twine from roast and slice against grain into ½-inch-thick slices. Transfer meat to large serving platter. Stir chopped thyme, remaining ¼ cup wine, and vinegar into sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon half of sauce over meat; pass remaining sauce separately.
Time
4¾ to 5¼ hours, plus 1 hour standingYield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
1 (3 ½- to 4-pound) boneless beef chuck-eye roast, pulled into two pieces at natural seam and trimmed of large knobs of fat
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, halved and sliced thin (about 2 cups)
1 large carrot, chopped medium (about 1 cup)
1 celery rib, chopped medium (about ¾ cup)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 cup beef broth, plus 1 to 2 cups for sauce (see note)
½ cup dry red wine, plus ¼ cup for sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 sprig plus ¼ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
1 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and halved lengthwise, each half quartered
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 (3 ½- to 4-pound) boneless beef chuck-eye roast, pulled into two pieces at natural seam and trimmed of large knobs of fat
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, halved and sliced thin (about 2 cups)
1 large carrot, chopped medium (about 1 cup)
1 celery rib, chopped medium (about ¾ cup)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 cup beef broth, plus 1 to 2 cups for sauce (see note)
½ cup dry red wine, plus ¼ cup for sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 sprig plus ¼ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
1 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and halved lengthwise, each half quartered
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 (3 ½- to 4-pound) boneless beef chuck-eye roast, pulled into two pieces at natural seam and trimmed of large knobs of fat
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, halved and sliced thin (about 2 cups)
1 large carrot, chopped medium (about 1 cup)
1 celery rib, chopped medium (about ¾ cup)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1 cup beef broth, plus 1 to 2 cups for sauce (see note)
½ cup dry red wine, plus ¼ cup for sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 sprig plus ¼ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
1 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and halved lengthwise, each half quartered
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We started our pot roast recipe by choosing well-marbled chuck-eye roast, which is full of collagen and well suited for braising. Opening the pot roast and trimming away the excess interior fat got rid of the pesky globs that refused to render as the pot roast cooked. Leaving the meat in two smaller roasts also shaved cooking time from our pot roast recipe and allowed the salt we used to season the lobes to penetrate even further. And finally, roasted vegetables thickened the pot roast’s gravy and glutamate-rich ingredients beefed up its rich flavor.
Before You Begin
Our recommended beef broth is Rachael Ray Stock-in-a-Box Beef Flavored Stock. Chilling the whole cooked pot roast overnight improves its flavor and makes it moister and easier to slice; for instructions, see “Make-Ahead Pot Roast.”
Instructions
- Sprinkle pieces of meat with 1 tablespoon salt (1½ teaspoons if using table salt), place on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet, and let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Heat butter in heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add carrot and celery; continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes longer. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 1 cup broth, ½ cup wine, tomato paste, bay leaf, and thyme sprig; bring to simmer.
- Pat beef dry with paper towels and season generously with pepper. Using 3 pieces of kitchen twine, tie each piece of meat into loaf shape for even cooking.
- Nestle meat on top of vegetables. Cover pot tightly with large piece of foil and cover with lid; transfer pot to oven. Cook beef for three hours flipping halfway through cooking. Remove pot from oven and add large pieces of carrots, parsnips, and potatoes. Return to oven, and continue to cook until vegetables and beef are fully tender and sharp knife easily slips in and out of meat, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer large pieces of carrot, parsnip, and potato to serving platter using slotted spoon, cover tightly with foil, and proceed with recipe as directed.
- Transfer roasts to cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Strain liquid through mesh strainer into 4-cup liquid measuring cup. Discard bay leaf and thyme sprig. Transfer vegetables to blender jar. Allow liquid to settle 5 minutes, then skim any fat off surface. Add beef broth as necessary to bring liquid amount to 3 cups. Place liquid in blender with vegetables and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer sauce to medium saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat.
- While sauce heats, remove twine from roast and slice against grain into ½-inch-thick slices. Transfer meat to large serving platter. Stir chopped thyme, remaining ¼ cup wine, and vinegar into sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon half of sauce over meat; pass remaining sauce separately.
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