Just imagine being the best of the best. Pot roast is already a classic of American cuisine, but the Best Tender Pot Roast? It’s in a different category altogether! The meat is fall-apart, melt-in-your-mouth tender, with the most beautiful beef flavor throughout. Carrots on the bottom add just the right amount of brightness (and soak up more of that beef flavor) without distracting from the dazzling star at the center. The Best Tender Pot Roast asks you for your time and patience, but what it gives in return is a savory, scrumptious dish you’ll know earns its reputation!
Ingredients
For the roast:
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3-5 pounds chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- carrots, peeled and optionally chopped, to taste
- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons dried minced onion
- 2 tablespoons beef bouillon
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 bay leaf
For the gravy:
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth, less depending on the amount of broth/drippings in the pan after roasting
- 1/4 cup flour
- kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Step 2 –In a large cast-iron skillet or a heavy-bottom skillet, heat the vegetable oil over high heat.
Step 3 –Using tongs, add the roast to the hot oil and sear on all sides until lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Step 4 –Transfer the roast to a shallow roasting pan.
Step 5 –Add whole cloves of the garlic into the crevices in the roast. You can usually find them wherever there is a seam of fat.
Step 6 –Add carrots to the roasting pan, surrounding the roast.
Step 7 –In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 cups of the beef broth, the Worcestershire sauce, the dried minced onion, the beef bouillon, the onion powder, the garlic powder, the salt, the oregano, the basil, the thyme, the pepper, and the bay leaf.
Step 8 –Pour the broth mixture over the roast and the carrots.
Step 9 –Cover the roasting pan tightly with foil and roast for 30 minutes.
Step 10 –Turn the roast over and re-cover it with foil.
Step 11 –Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
Step 12 –Roast until the meat is fall-apart tender, about 4-5 hours.
Step 13 –Transfer the roast and the carrots to a serving platter, reserving the juices/broth in the pan. Let the roast rest for at least 30 minutes.
Step 14 –Strain the fat from the juices. Do not discard the fat.
Step 15 –Add the remaining beef broth to the juice in the pan just until it is equal to about 2 cups in total.
Step 16 –Add 4 tablespoons of the reserved fat to a saucepan over medium heat.
Step 17 –Sprinkle the flour into the melted fat and whisk until it becomes a smooth, golden-brown paste, about 2 minutes.
Step 18 –Slowly stir in the juices/broth mixture.
Step 19 –Bring the gravy to a simmer.
Step 20 –Season the gravy to taste.
Step 21 –Serve.
