Pot Roast Dinner Recipe

Prep and Sear

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Pat the chuck roast dry and season evenly with 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Lightly dust with 2 tbsp flour. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the roast 4–5 minutes per side until deeply browned. Remove roast and set aside.

Aromatics

Reduce heat to medium. Add the whole yellow onion (cut into quarters), 4 smashed garlic cloves, 3 carrots cut into 2-inch pieces and 2 celery stalks sliced into large pieces to the pot. Cook, stirring, until onions begin to brown, about 4 minutes.

Deglaze and Braise

Stir in 1 tbsp tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Pour in 1 cup red wine (or use additional beef broth) to deglaze, scraping up browned bits. Return the roast to the pot, add 3 cups beef broth until liquid comes about halfway up the roast. Add 3 sprigs thyme and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and transfer to the oven. Cook until fork-tender, about 3 to 3.5 hours.

Finish

When done, remove roast to a cutting board and tent with foil. Strain and reserve braising liquid and solids separately for gravy and plating. Discard thyme stems and bay leaves. Shred or slice the roast to serve.

While roast cooks (or in final 30 minutes), peel and quarter 2 lb russet potatoes. Place in a pot, cover with cold water and 1 tsp salt, add 3 whole garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, then simmer until potatoes are tender, 15–20 minutes. Drain well and return to pot. Warm 1 cup milk with 4 tbsp butter until butter melts. Mash potatoes and garlic together until smooth, gradually adding warm milk-butter until creamy. Season with 0.5 tsp black pepper and adjust salt to taste. Keep warm.

After removing roast, measure about 1 cup pan drippings (use fat separated from juices; if drippings are sparse, add beef broth to equal 1 cup). Place the Dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk in 2 tbsp flour to the drippings to make a roux and cook 1–2 minutes until lightly browned. Slowly whisk in 1 cup beef broth and any reserved braising liquid as needed. Add 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp pepper. Simmer, whisking, until thickened to gravy consistency, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Strain if a smoother gravy is desired.

Thinly slice 1 whole yellow onion into rings and separate into strands. In a bowl, whisk 0.75 cup flour, 0.25 cup cornstarch, 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp pepper. Add 1 cup cold sparkling water or beer and stir to make a loose batter. Toss onion strands in the batter until well coated. Heat 2 cups vegetable oil in a heavy skillet or fryer to 350°F (175°C). Fry the battered onion strands in batches, pressing into loose nests, until golden and crisp, 2–3 minutes per batch. Remove to a rack or paper towel to drain and season lightly with additional salt while hot.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add 1 lb baby carrots and 8 oz trimmed green beans and cook until just tender-crisp, 4–6 minutes. Drain and immediately toss with 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill, 1 tsp lemon juice, 0.75 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Keep warm until plating.

Spoon a generous scoop of garlic mashed potatoes onto each plate. Layer sliced or shredded pot roast over the mashed potatoes. Spoon rich brown gravy over the roast and potatoes. Arrange a portion of dill carrots and green beans to the side. Top the roast with a crisp haystack onion nest. Garnish with an extra sprig of dill if desired and serve immediately.