Beef Pot Roast

Comfort food, tasty, filling, one pot meal, and hearty are some of the words that I think of when the food pot roast comes up. What is the first thing that comes to YOUR mind when thinking of pot roast? Also, I think of it as a great Sunday meal for the whole family to enjoy after watching some great football games! My belly starts talking when the lingering smell of pot roast ingredients are cooking on the stovetop and wanders throughout the house! Oh, my goodness! That is the effect pot roast has on me, when it is on the stovetop or in the oven. There are many variations of how pot roast can be made, it can be made in a slow cooker, oven or cast iron skillet but one thing is certain; most people use one of these methods with some type of mirepoix to get it going. So, let’s see what is the best cut of beef used when making pot roast, how to make pot roast and how long to cook pot roast.

Best Cut of Beef to Use

What is the best cut of beef to use when making pot roast? So many people have their suggestions as to the best cut of beef to use, but as I researched this question, the most popular answer was the boneless chuck roast. This is a tough piece of beef as it is a shoulder cut and lays above the shorter part of the rib. This cut of beef is inexpensive as you can get a nice, thick, marbled cut of boneless chuck for $6.00 – $7.00 per lb. The cost will run you approximately $9.00 – $11.00 and to top it off, it will feed four to six people easily. Now, that is what I like most, your money will go a long way with making this dish. Try going out to dinner with a family of four. Big difference in price! So, head out to your supermarket and gather all of your ingredients needed to make this dish.

How to make Beef Pot Roast

As always, I would like to remind you to have ALL of the ingredients, so there are no surprises. Let’s avoid this! Look below to find the ingredient list:
Chuck roast, olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, steak seasoning, onions (diced), celery (diced), baby carrots, butter, beef broth, tomato sauce, ketchup, sriracha, worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, potatoes (large diced), and rosemary

The equipment and tools needed are minimal, as your main tool would be a knife to dice some of your ingredients:

Cast Iron Pot/Baking dish or slow cooker (using either one will get the job done)
Tongs (to take meat in and out of pot)
Chef knife (to dice your vegetables)
Large spoon – to scoop out the sauce along with meat onto your plate. The only way to enjoy that delicious sauce. (YUM,YUM)

Check out my TikTok and Instagram video on making Beef Pot Roast.

Directions:

Step One – Rub oil over the front and back of your meat. Rub salt, pepper and steak seasoning over meat or vice versa. It doesn’t really matter which order this is done. The oil will prevent it from sticking to your pot and keep all of the seasonings on the meat as well.

Step Two – In a large cast iron skillet/slow cooker or baking dish, add a little oil, coat the bottom of the pot and then pan fry your chuck steak. Brown both sides of the steak and remove from the pan. Leave all the bits from the meat in the pan as it adds a little flavor.

Step Three – Add a little more oil and butter to the pot, sauté onions, celery and carrots. Sauté, until onions become translucent and the celery becomes a little softer than when it first entered into the pot. The carrots will remain firm and crisp. Use the same pot for each step as this process aids in browning of the sauce and enhances the flavor during this slow cooking process of making pot roast.

Step Four – Add liquids, beef broth, tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce, ketchup, sriracha, onion and garlic powder to the pot. This is the sauce that it will roast in for hours. A very small amount of browning sauce was added to this dish, giving it a slightly darker color. Stir, blend all ingredients until it starts to boil. Cover and lower flame. As this dish slowly cooks, this is where all of the flavor comes into play. The sauce will thicken as it continues to cook.

The cooking method of using the cast iron skillet vs. oven was being put to my test, testing which one would be more flavorful. After testing, there seemed to be an unnoticeable difference in taste.

Step Five – Add the meat back into the pot with the sauce, basting periodically. Add potatoes after one hour. Cover and cook pot roast for at least 3 hours on low heat or until meat pulls apart easily, whichever is first. Make sure to check the broth level every 30 – 45 minutes. If liquid/sauce gets low, add an additional cup of broth (if necessary). Sauce should thicken as it cooks.

How long does it take Pot Roast to Cook

Pot Roast takes a long time to cook, it requires tough meat to become very tender, so times will vary according to the method used to cook it. If using the oven, it would differ from using the slow cooker or cast iron. The oven would be slightly quicker. Also, it depends on how tender someone likes their meat. Different factors are considered when timing this dish. I cooked my pot roast in the cast iron skillet for nearly three hours. It pulled apart perfectly using a fork. Using the cast iron skillet compared to using the oven, there is a big difference in the cook time. The oven eliminates nearly one hour of cook time depending if your oven temperature was at 400 degrees F or higher. If you want an even faster cooking time with making pot roast, choose the pressure cooker.

Your finished Beef Pot Roast should feed at least 4 – 6 people depending on the serving size of each individual. If you are in my house, it would serve 4 as our servings are not small. Eat up and enjoy! This is a tasty, and hearty meat dish that pairs well with mashed potatoes or rice. If you want to add a vegetable, string/green beans taste great with this combination.

Look out for more delicious recipes in “Aunt Carmen’s Family Favorites Cookbook” coming soon!