How To Cook Pot Roast

Step 1

Heat the oven. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 325°F.

Step 2

Season the roast and coat in flour. Season the roast with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and the pepper. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the flour over the entire roast until evenly coated.

Step 3

Sear the roast. Heat the oil in a 7-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the roast and brown on all sides, including the ends, until you have a deep golden sear, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the roast to a large plate and set aside.

Step 4

Sauté the onion. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté until softened and beginning to brown around the edges, about 4 minutes.

Step 5

Deglaze. Add the wine and scrape up the beautiful browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Step 6

Add flavorings and roast to the pot. Stir in the beef broth, garlic, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, rosemary sprig, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Return the meat and any juices to the pot.

Step 7

Cover and braise. Bring to a simmer, then cover and place in the oven. Braise for 1 hour and 45 minutes. The meat should appear tender, but will not be falling apart yet.

Step 8

Add the root vegetables. Uncover and nestle the carrots and potatoes into the braising liquid around the roast. Cover again, return to the oven, and braise until the roast pulls apart easily and the vegetables are tender but not mushy, 1 1/2 to 2 hours more.

Step 9

Shred the meat. Remove the pot from the oven and set over low heat. Transfer the roast to a large bowl and shred into large pieces with 2 forks; set aside. Remove and discard the herb stems and bay leaves.

Step 10

Prepare a butter and flour paste. Smash the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour with the butter together in a small bowl with a spatula until it forms a thick paste.

Step 11

Thicken the gravy. Stir the butter-flour paste into the pot and cook for 3 minutes to remove raw flour taste and thicken the gravy, making sure the liquid does not boil. Stir in the vinegar.

Step 12

Add the meat back to pot. Return the shredded pieces of meat to the pot and gently stir to coat in the gravy.

Step 13

Serve the pot roast. Serve the pot roast over buttered egg noodles or with crusty bread. Top with a few grinds of black pepper and chopped thyme and rosemary.