Best Pot Roast EVER!
What makes this the best pot roast ever is the time you will need to put into it. Let’s agree that some of you/us can tend to be of the “set it and forget it” mentality. We know that isn’t the real way to get truly delicious tasting food that will leave your guests begging for your secret.
So if you want to look like a cooking goddess, you’re in luck.
Have you ever been to someone’s house for dinner and eaten a meal you’ve had a thousand times? Only to realize that all those that came before don’t come close to comparing? When you asked how they made it they responded one of two ways: 1. “Can’t tell you. I’d have to kill you” or 2. “Hold on, I’ll write it down for you”.
Recently, I made this pot roast for company, and when asked I responded with the latter. What happened when I began to explain to them how I made it? You may or may not be surprised by the response. It went something like this: You mean I can’t just put it in the crockpot and walk away? Wait, what???? Great food doesn’t happen by letting it stew in a seasoning packet and water! And that’s basically how responded. What I actually said was “You just finished telling me it’s the best pot roast you ever had. That is because I don’t prepare it as everyone else does. If you want to be just as happy when YOU cook it then YOU need to make it MY way.”
To be fair this is a spin-off of the Pioneer Woman’s Pot Roast. I cook mine at a higher temperature and omit some ingredients while adding others. I also cook my veggies a bit longer too.
Most roast cuts will work if you have a preference. I prefer the chuck because it falls apart easily when done cooking. A lot of people prefer a top or bottom round because they are lean and typically easy to slice. Brisket is fattier and also harder to find in a large enough cut to feed the multitudes.
Which Dutch Oven, you ask? Well, there are many affordable brands that will do the job, but only for so long before the enamel starts to chip off. My personal favorite, if you’re serious about your cooking, is the Le Creuset which you can find here. It doesn’t hurt that they have dozens of colors to choose from. Let’s be honest, we women still tend to base our shopping decisions on appearance, not just the product’s ability to perform. This product will definitely last longer than the box store variety. I have two and the one pictured is my “cheapy” version and it is chipping as I mentioned they do. My Le Creuset is used almost weekly in the cooler months.
So if you are prepared to commit the time then be prepared to be the envy of everyone who indulges in this piece of heaven.
Don’t forget to check out some of my other recipes from this list:
Contents
Best Pot Roast Ever
Equipment
- 1 Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 5 lb Chuck Roast
- 6-8 Whole Carrots cut into 2" pieces I like to use baby carrots so it may take double the amount – No need to peel
- 2 Large Sweet Onion Peeled and quartered
- 2 tbsp Rosemary, dried
- 3 Cups Better than Boullion Beef Broth Very important that you use this brand if you want the quality, but not necessary
- 1-2 Cups Sweet Vermouth
- ½ Cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 2-3 Tbsp Course Salt Kosher is fine
- 2-3 Tbsp Pepper
- 2 Tbsp Oil Add more as you need it
- 1-2 Tbsp Garlic powder
- 4 Cloves, divided Fresh Garlic
- ½-¾ Stick Unslated Butter For the Roux
- ½-¾ Cup Flour For the Roux
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° and remove middle rack
- Season the roast liberally with course salt, pepper, and garlic powder on ALL sides.
- Heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and let them brown on all sides. You're basically going to let them roast on the stovetop. This will help reduce your overall cook time. After you turn the carrots over the first time you can add the onions. At this time you should also add an ⅛th cup each of balsamic and Vermouth to really cook that flavor into the veggies. If you need to add oil, feel free. Remove the vegetables from the Dutch oven and set aside.
- Again, add a splash each of the balsamic and Vermouth to deglaze the pot. Place the roast in the pot and start to sear it on all sides (even the ends) for 1-2 minutes on each side. While you're doing this you can prepare the liquid. What I generally do is follow the directions on the Better Than Boullion jar for 4 cups of water. Instead of using all water though, I use 3 cups of water and 1 cup of Vermouth. Once you add this liquid you will have to taste test the broth. This is where you make it your own. Add water, balsamic and/or Vermouth as you prefer to tweak it. Don't be afraid to play around with the flavors. Depending on the actual size of your roast you may need to add more Boullion mix…….don't fret. Place the Dutch oven in the oven with the lid on. Remove the roast when it reaches 160° (approximately 2-3 hours, depending on your oven). Mine ALWAYS takes the longer time.
- Remove the pot from the oven and remove the roast and set on a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
