Dutch Oven Pot Roast

Ingredients

• 3 lb chuck roast (Just over 3 lb; patted dry)
• coarse kosher salt (Generous covering on both sides, plus more for seasoning the flour and vegetables)
• black pepper (Generous covering on both sides, plus more for seasoning the flour and vegetables and a little extra later)
• oil (Just enough to coat the bottom of the Dutch oven)
• 0.5 cup all-purpose flour (Seasoned with more salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder; additional flour is used to thicken the gravy)
• salt (More, to season the flour and vegetables)
• pepper (More, to season the flour)
• onion powder (To season the flour)
• garlic powder (To season the flour, plus a little more later)
• 1 onion (Large, roughly chopped)
• 3 carrots (Large, peeled and cut into large chunks)
• 3 ribs celery (Cut into large chunks)
• 2 pats butter (Added with the vegetables; size of pats not specified)
• 10 cloves garlic (Roughly chopped)
• 4.5 oz tomato paste (Use the whole tube)
• 1 cup red wine (Cabernet; stock may be used instead)
• Better Than Bouillon (A little spoonful)
• Worcestershire sauce (A few dashes)
• 3 cups beef stock (Use stock in place of the wine if preferred)
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves (Remove after braising)
• 1 tbsp butter (Room temperature, for the flour paste)
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (For thickening the gravy)

Steps

1. 1

   The night before cooking, pat the chuck roast dry. Cover both sides generously with coarse kosher salt and black pepper, then refrigerate uncovered until the next day.

2. 2

   Roughly chop the onion. Peel the carrots and cut them into large chunks; cut the celery ribs into similarly large pieces. Roughly chop the garlic and set the vegetables aside.

3. 3

   Set a 7-quart enameled Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pot.

4. 4

   Season the half cup of flour with additional salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. While the pot heats, coat the roast on all sides in the seasoned flour.

5. 5

   When the oil shimmers, reduce the heat to medium. Place the roast in the pot with good contact against the bottom. Cook for about 4–5 minutes per side, until a nicely browned crust forms. Turn it over to brown the other side.

6. 6

   Lift the roast out of the pot and set it on a plate. Leave the browned bits in the bottom of the pot; they will flavor the vegetables and gravy.

7. 7

   Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery, then add a couple of pats of butter. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions begin to soften and the vegetables start loosening the browned bits from the pot.

8. 8

   Add the chopped garlic and the entire tube of tomato paste. Fry the mixture for about 5 minutes, until the tomato paste caramelizes and turns a rich, dark color.

9. 9

   Pour in 1 cup of red wine, scraping up the remaining browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture thicken. Use stock instead of wine if preferred.

10. 10

    Stir in a little spoonful of Better Than Bouillon, a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, a little more garlic powder, and a little more black pepper.

11. 11

    Pour in 3 cups of beef stock. When the liquid comes to a simmer, return the roast to the pot. It does not need to be fully submerged, but should sit well into the gravy.

12. 12

    Add 1 sprig of fresh thyme and 2 bay leaves. Cover the Dutch oven with foil if its lid allows steam to escape, then place the lid on top.

13. 13

    Braise in an oven preheated to 275°F (135°C) for about 1 hour per pound of meat. For a roast just over 3 pounds, cook at least 3½ hours, and possibly 4 hours, until very tender and easy to shred.

14. 14

    Remove and discard the thyme sprig and bay leaves. The source does not specify removing the roast or vegetables from the gravy before thickening.

15. 15

    In a small bowl, mash together 1 tablespoon room-temperature butter and 2 tablespoons flour until all the flour is coated and the paste is smooth.

16. 16

    Add the butter-flour paste to the gravy and turn the heat to low. Bring the gravy to a simmer and cook until it thickens.

17. 17

    While the gravy simmers, remove any unwanted large hunks of fat from the roast and shred the meat with a spoon; it should fall apart easily. Serve the shredded roast with the thickened gravy.

Notes

The creator says smaller carrots or carrot coins cook faster; if using them, add them after the roast has been in the oven for about 1 hour. Potatoes may be added, though the creator planned to serve the roast over mashed potatoes. No rosemary is used because a family member dislikes it. The source does not specify the exact amount of oil, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, Better Than Bouillon, or Worcestershire sauce.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• dinner
• American
• slow-braised
• Dutch oven
• comfort food
• gluten-containing
• dairy