Classic Pot Roast with Mushroom and Prune Gravy
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 and trimmed of fat (see note)Kosher salt and ground black pepper 4 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 dark beer, porter or stout, plus ¼ cup for sauce1 ounce dried porcini mushroom, well rinsed½ cup pitted prunes 1 bay leaf 1 pound cremini mushrooms, stem trimmed, caps wiped clean and cut into ¼-inch slices1 sprig plus ¼ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Before You Begin
To separate the roast into two pieces, simply pull apart at the natural seam and then trim away any large knobs of fat. Our recommended beef broth is Rachael Ray Stock-In-A-Box All-Natural Beef Flavored Stock.
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 2 tablespoons 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, and 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 beer, porcinis, prunes, bay leaf, and thyme sprig; bring to simmer.
- Pat beef dry with paper towels and season generously with pepper. Using three pieces of kitchen twine, tie each piece of meat into round loaf shape.
- Nestle roasts on top of vegetables. Place large piece of foil over pot and cover tightly with lid; transfer pot to oven. Cook roasts until fully tender and sharp knife easily slips in and out of meat, 3 1/2 to 4 hours, turning roast halfway through cooking.
- Transfer roasts to cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Strain liquid through mesh strainer into 4-cup liquid measuring cup. Discard thyme sprig and bay leaf. Transfer vegetables to pitcher of blender. Allow liquid to settle for 5 minutes then skim any fat off surface. Add beef broth as necessary to bring total amount of liquid to 3 cups. Place liquid in blender pitcher with vegetables and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer sauce to medium saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat.
- While sauce is heating, heat remaining 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. When foaming subsides add cremini mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until all liquid has evaporated and mushrooms have started to brown, 7 to 10 minutes.
- 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 beer, and sautéed creminis into sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, serving 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 and trimmed of fat (see note)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
4 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 dark beer, porter or stout, plus ¼ cup for sauce
1 ounce dried porcini mushroom, well rinsed
½ cup pitted prunes
1 bay leaf
1 pound cremini mushrooms, stem trimmed, caps wiped clean and cut into ¼-inch slices
1 sprig plus ¼ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 (3 ½- to 4-pound) boneless beef chuck-eye roast, pulled into two pieces and trimmed of fat (see note)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
4 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 dark beer, porter or stout, plus ¼ cup for sauce
1 ounce dried porcini mushroom, well rinsed
½ cup pitted prunes
1 bay leaf
1 pound cremini mushrooms, stem trimmed, caps wiped clean and cut into ¼-inch slices
1 sprig plus ¼ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 (3 ½- to 4-pound) boneless beef chuck-eye roast, pulled into two pieces and trimmed of fat (see note)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
4 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 dark beer, porter or stout, plus ¼ cup for sauce
1 ounce dried porcini mushroom, well rinsed
½ cup pitted prunes
1 bay leaf
1 pound cremini mushrooms, stem trimmed, caps wiped clean and cut into ¼-inch slices
1 sprig plus ¼ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
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
To separate the roast into two pieces, simply pull apart at the natural seam and then trim away any large knobs of fat. Our recommended beef broth is Rachael Ray Stock-In-A-Box All-Natural Beef Flavored Stock.
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 2 tablespoons 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, and 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 beer, porcinis, prunes, bay leaf, and thyme sprig; bring to simmer.
- Pat beef dry with paper towels and season generously with pepper. Using three pieces of kitchen twine, tie each piece of meat into round loaf shape.
- Nestle roasts on top of vegetables. Place large piece of foil over pot and cover tightly with lid; transfer pot to oven. Cook roasts until fully tender and sharp knife easily slips in and out of meat, 3 1/2 to 4 hours, turning roast halfway through cooking.
- Transfer roasts to cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Strain liquid through mesh strainer into 4-cup liquid measuring cup. Discard thyme sprig and bay leaf. Transfer vegetables to pitcher of blender. Allow liquid to settle for 5 minutes then skim any fat off surface. Add beef broth as necessary to bring total amount of liquid to 3 cups. Place liquid in blender pitcher with vegetables and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer sauce to medium saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat.
- While sauce is heating, heat remaining 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. When foaming subsides add cremini mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until all liquid has evaporated and mushrooms have started to brown, 7 to 10 minutes.
- 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 beer, and sautéed creminis into sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, serving sauce separately.
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