Pot Roast

When I think "comfort food," a good old-fashioned, classic pot roast is the first thing that comes to mind.  Growing up, it was always my request for my birthday dinner, and with good reason.

My grandma made the ultimate pot roast (she called it "roast beef") and would serve it with her swoon-worthy mashed potatoes.  I'd give anything to have her cook that meal for me again now, and I think of her each and every time I make this recipe.

I've made a few tweaks to her original, with the addition of potatoes, leeks, mushrooms, and wine, but the heart of the recipe is the same — that luscious, tender, beef.  There's truly nothing better on a cold day than a hearty pot roast, and the house will smell so good with it slowly simmering away in the oven all day. Enjoy!

Pot Roast

20 min 4 hours 30 minutes 6-8 Servings

Ingredients

• One (3 to 4-pound) chuck roast
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 onions, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges
• 4 large carrots, peeled, split lengthwise and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
• 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced into half-moons
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 medium russet potato, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 quart reduced-sodium beef broth
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8-ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning the roast
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. For the Crust: Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Season all sides of the pot roast with salt and pepper (3 to 4 teaspoons salt). Place the flour into a baking dish and lightly dredge the chuck roast on all sides with the flour, being sure to shake off any excess.
3. In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Brown the chuck roast, about 4 to 5 minutes per side, until golden brown then remove to a large plate and set aside.
4. Reduce the heat of the Dutch oven to medium-low and add the onions, carrots, leeks, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
5. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat everything. Allow to cook for a minute or so until lightly caramelized. Deglaze the pot with the red wine, scraping the browned bits up off the bottom of the pot. Stir in the potato and beef broth and season with 2 teaspoons salt and pepper to taste.
6. Place the chuck roast back into the Dutch oven and nestle into the vegetables. Bring the liquid to a low boil, cover the pot and place into the oven until the meat is fork tender, 3 to 4 hours.
7. About 30 minutes before ready to serve, heat the butter in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the mushrooms and allow to cook for 5 to 7 minutes until golden brown. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
8. Carefully remove from the oven and use tongs to place the chuck roast onto a cutting board. Remove the strings if there are any, then using two forks shred the roast into large pieces.
9. Stir the golden brown mushrooms into the meat juices and vegetables. Plate the shredded meat and spoon the pan juices and vegetables over the beef.