Updated date:

Feb 13, 2020

Savory Oven-Baked Pot Roast Recipe

Author:: Vespa Woolf

Vespa's recipes have appeared in "Midwest Living" and "Taste of Home". She belongs to Cook's Recipe Testers for "Cook's Illustrated".

Baked Beef Pot Roast

Pot roast has stubbornly remained the mainstay of Sunday dinners, thanks to the affordability of this inexpensive cut of beef and ease of preparation. Once you've seared the roast and placed it in the oven, you can pretty much forget about it until dinner time.

Cattle are usually grass-fed in Peru. Although the meat is leaner, it has intense beef flavor and more Omega-3 fatty acids than corn-fed beef. What transforms this tough cut of meat into a tender, succulent main course? Pot roast is actually braised, not roasted. The meat is partially submerged in liquid, covered and cooked at a low temperature. This melts the collagen and transforms tough meat into juicy, flavorful pot roast we all know and love.

You can't really overcook a pot roast. Allow plenty of cooking time so the roast literally falls apart. And if it finishes ahead of time, just reheat before serving. It's a foolproof dinner for your Sunday crowd!

How to Choose a Roast

Cook's Illustrated recommends chuck roast for flavor and tenderness. There are three types of chuck roast common in the United States. The seven-bone roast is marbled with fat and has an amazing beefy flavor. At only 2 inches thick, this roast requires less liquid and a shorter cooking time. Start checking for doneness after just 2 hours in the oven.

Top-blade roasts are also marbled with fat, which equals a juicy chunk of meat with lots of flavor. The chuck-eye roast, or chuck roast, is the fattiest and most common cut. The thickest roast, it requires the longest cooking time and yields a flavorful, tender piece of beef.

Tips

It's worth the time and effort to sear the roast. Searing seals in juices and guarantees a moist, tender pot roast.
We prefer a dark beer such as Guinness for this recipe, but a light beer will also work well. If you'd like to skip the beer, substitute 1 cup of chicken broth and 1 cup of beef broth.
For a gourmet-style roast, substitute 1 1/2 cup red wine for the beer.
The steak seasoning and cumin enhances beefy roast flavor while fresh rosemary and coriander adds brightness to the sauce.
This roast is delicious served with a side of creamy mashed potatoes.

Cook Time


Prep time	Cook time	Ready in	Yields
15 min	3 hours	3 hours 15 min	Serves 8

Metric Conversion

1 teaspoon = 5 mL

1 Tablespoon = 15 mL

Ingredients

4 lbs. (2 kilos) beef roast
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, for searing
2 medium onions, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 teaspoons steak seasoning salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon each ground coriander and cumin
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
4 bay leaves
12 ounces (360 mL) beer (see tips for other options)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
6 carrots, peeled
2 Tablespoons cornstarch (for slurry)
2 Tablespoons water (for slurry)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 Fahrenheit (149 Celsius). Rinse roast and pat it dry. Allow to return to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a dutch oven or other ovenproof pot, over high heat until it's hot enough to "ripple". Carefully place beef in the pan.
Sear beef thoroughly on all sides, 3-4 minutes, until a nice brown crust has formed.
Remove beef to a plate and allow to rest. Add a little more oil to the pot, if necessary, and saute onion, garlic and celery several minutes or until translucent and soft. Pour beer into pot and deglaze, scraping up the bits that have stuck to the bottom.
Place beef back in the pot with vegetables. Sprinkle seasoning salt and pepper over beef. Add other spices, carrots and tomatoes to the pot. Add enough water so it comes halfway up the roast.
Cover pot with aluminum foil so steam can't escape then cover with lid.
Place pot in preheated oven. Cook for 3-4 hours, turning roast halfway through cooking time. Roast is done when fork tender.
Transfer roast to a plate and tent with foil. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Puree liquid in a blender, food processor or with an immersion blender. Measure and add water to equal 1 1/2 cups of liquid and return to pot. Taste and adjust seasonings.
On high heat, bring liquid to a simmer. Blend cornstarch and water with a fork to make a slurry. Slowly drizzle into liquid, whisking all the time, until thickened.
Cut or pull apart the meat. Serve on platter with sauce on the side. This roast is best served with mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Sear beef on each side for 3-4 minutes

Variations

For a complete one-pot meal, add waxy potatoes such as Yukon Gold (peeled or unpeeled) or new potatoes. Parsnips are another delicious root vegetable that add pizzaz to this dish. Peel and drop them into the pot alongside the potatoes an hour before the pot roast is done.

Beef Pot Roast with Mashed Potatoes, Carrots & Cabbage
Vespawoolf

What to Do With Leftovers?

You can stretch pot roast into several meals with the following ideas:

Toast thick slices of bread and spread with warmed mashed potatoes and shredded roast. Drizzle with sauce for a hearty open-faced sandwich.
Carmelize onion slices in a little olive oil and salt over low heat. Toast bread and serve beef sandwiches with carmelized onions and horseradish mayonnaise.
Make a batch of beef gravy. Add chunks of leftover pot roast and serve over noodles for a quick beef stroganoff.
Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over high heat. Add two cups of shredded pot roast and 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning. Fry until beef is heated through. Serve with taco shells, lettuce, tomato and homemade salsa for quick weekday tacos.
Chop pot roast into chunks and serve with beans and rice. Top with fresh pico de gallo for South-of-the-border flavor.
Simmer shredded pot roast in BBQ sauce. Serve on toasted onion buns with potato salad or coleslaw on the side.

Comments

Sarah Spradlin from Little Rock, Arkansas on April 17, 2018:

This looks awesome!

Vespa Woolf (author) from Peru, South America on November 13, 2014:

Au fait, you do have the perfect weather to enjoy pot roast. Thanks for your comment.

C E Clark from North Texas on November 11, 2014:

This looks so delicious! Just right for the weather we're having here in Texas -- unseasonably chilly. The perfect comfort meal.

Vespa Woolf (author) from Peru, South America on April 17, 2014:

Thanks for the pin DeborahNeyens!

Deborah Neyens from Iowa on April 17, 2014:

This hub showed up in my feed and I had to visit again because the food looks so delicious! I'm pinning this one.

Amanda Jones on July 01, 2013:

This looks very appetizing to me! I think it's very tasty!

Vespa Woolf (author) from Peru, South America on April 22, 2013:

Very good point, WillStarr, I appreciate it!

WillStarr from Phoenix, Arizona on April 21, 2013:

If time is limited, you can also cut the roast into 1 inch cubes before browning. The cooking time is then much faster.

Vespa Woolf (author) from Peru, South America on February 26, 2013:

Lifefusion, I'm glad you enjoyed this oven-baked pot roast. Thank you for leaving your review! Have a great day.

Josh Woods from United States on February 25, 2013:

Tried it last night. It turned out great and my wife loved it. Thanks again.

Vespa Woolf (author) from Peru, South America on February 18, 2013:

Lifefusion, I look forward to your feedback. Thanks for coming by and have a great week.

Josh Woods from United States on February 18, 2013:

I plan to try this out in the next week or so. Thanks for the recipe. I will will let you know how it turns out soon. Have a great day.

Vespa Woolf (author) from Peru, South America on February 08, 2013:

Au fait, I wish I could send over some pot roast! It's a great wintertime comfort meal. I hope you can get something healthy and warm soon. : ) I appreciate the votes!

C E Clark from North Texas on February 08, 2013:

This meal looks so delicious! I love pot roast and mashed potatoes and cabbage, etc. So yummy, and it's lunch time here right now and I didn't have any breakfast. All I had was a frozen burger that I nuked a few minutes ago. Would love a meal like this instead. Voting you up and awesome!

Vespa Woolf (author) from Peru, South America on January 11, 2013:

WiccanSage, I'm glad you like the recipe. Pot roast is great because you can do other things while it cooks and the leftovers are so versatile, too. Thanks for coming by!

Mackenzie Sage Wright on January 11, 2013:

Hi! Hope you don't mind, but I thought your recipe looked great and I recommended it with a link to here on one of my hubs (Wiccan Wheel of the Year: Imbolc Recipes and Ideas for the Sabbat Feast). If you have any objections let me know, but it was just perfect for the occasion. Thanks!

Vespa Woolf (author) from Peru, South America on January 09, 2013:

Peggy W, your mother's hash sounds delicious! What an interesting idea. I think pot roast is a great dish because it's comforting, easy and doesn't dirty too many dishes. It's also nice to have leftovers to fall back on later in the week. Thanks for your meaningful comment, votes and tweet. ; )

Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on January 09, 2013:

It has been a while since we have had a good pot roast. After reading this, you can be sure that we will be doing it soon. I love all of the vegetables done in the same pot as they not only add good flavor but take on such rich flavors of their own. What my mother used to do with leftover pot roast was to put the remaining beef, potatoes, onion, carrots, etc. through her meat grinder and make a hash. I loved that! Your suggestions for the leftovers also sound good. Gave this another 5 stars plus up and useful votes. Tweeting.

Vespa Woolf (author) from Peru, South America on October 04, 2012:

2patricias, I'm glad you found another one to add to your HP Recipe index! This really is delicious. It's hard to beat pot roast for convenience and comfort. : ) Thank you for leaving a comment.

2patricias from Sussex by the Sea on October 04, 2012:

Leftovers??? This looks so yummy I cannot imagine there would be any leftovers.

I am adding this to my Recipe Index for HubPages.

Vespa Woolf (author) from Peru, South America on September 30, 2012:

MissyMac, glad you agree about the braising. Pot roast is a great comfort food and so easy to prepare. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment.

Missy Mac from Illinois on September 30, 2012:

Its been a while since I have made pot roast. You're correct, just braise it and put into the stove. Your plate looks good. Great article.

Vespa Woolf (author) from Peru, South America on September 21, 2012:

And it would be so delicious with your French beef, Letitialicious! What I like about pot roast is that it doesn't take much effort and you can make several meals from it.

Letitialicious from Paris via San Diego on September 21, 2012:

I looked at your photo and started to salivate, then looked at the clock. Dinner time over here! Wish I had time left to cook this.

Vespa Woolf (author) from Peru, South America on September 16, 2012:

KoffeeKlatch Gals, I'm glad you love the recipe! Pot roast is so comforting, and especially ideal for upcoming cold weather. Thanks so much for paying me a visit!

Susan Hazelton from Sunny Florida on September 16, 2012:

Oh my goodness you have made me hungry. I love your recipe. Up, useful, awesome, and interesting.

Vespa Woolf (author) from Peru, South America on September 15, 2012:

IndieJoe, thanks so much for the feedback! I always enjoy hearing your perceptions on the recipes. Did you try the chuck roast? The cut really makes a difference in the outcome. Thank you for coming by!

IndieJoe on September 15, 2012:

We just made this meal for my wife's parents and it's a hit! Thankfully, there is just enough left over to try the beef stroganoff recommendation. Thanks Vespa!!

Vespa Woolf (author) from Peru, South America on September 15, 2012:

CyberShelley, I'm glad you clipped the recipe. Enjoy! Pot roast fills the house with a comforting and welcoming fragrance, as well. Thanks so much for the vote and share!

Shelley Watson on September 15, 2012:

Pot roast is the ultimate comfort food, and this particular recipe as well as the one for the mashed potato is going in my recipe book. Thank you, voted up, interesting and useful.

Vespa Woolf (author) from Peru, South America on September 09, 2012:

Rjsadowski, it's nice to hear from you again! Thank you for coming by.

rjsadowski on September 09, 2012:

Awesome recipe with great pictures.

Vespa Woolf (author) from Peru, South America on September 02, 2012:

DeborahNeyens, I'm so glad you're enjoying locally raised, grass-fed beef! I agree the flavor is unrivaled, and it's so healthy too. What a great deal to have a brother-in-law in the business. We're from the Midwest and I've noticed there's more emphasis on locally grown, naturally raised foods...the way our grandparents lived. Thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment!

Deborah Neyens from Iowa on September 02, 2012:

Pot roast always has been one of my favorite dishes and the pictures of yours are making my mouth water! I want to comment on the grass-fed beef because I've been buying a lot of locally raised beef that is primarily grass fed (and then perhaps finished with a little grain) and it is true that nothing beats the flavor. My brother-in-law just had one of his grass-fed steers butchered and we had some of the hamburger last night for dinner. The flavor was incredible!

Vespa Woolf (author) from Peru, South America on August 29, 2012:

PegCole17, it will soon be pot roast weather! Of course, it's a nice meal anytime of year. Enjoy and thanks for taking the time to read and comment!

Peg Cole from Northeast of Dallas, Texas on August 29, 2012:

This is making me very hungry. I'm off to the store after reading your wonderful and beautiful hub.

Vespa Woolf (author) from Peru, South America on August 29, 2012:

GDRshop, thanks so much for coming by!

GDRshop on August 28, 2012:

wow this looks really good!