This is a recipe that I developed in the fall of 2022. It’s become my favorite way to make a beef roast. It consistently produces a tender, fall-apart roast with a thick, rich sauce. The ingredients are simple. The results are complex and savory.
THE “POT ROAST” OF MY PAST
I grew up hating pot roast. In my childhood experience, “pot roast” generally meant a beef roast cooked in a crock pot with water, a little salt, and pepper. It was then finished with carrots and potatoes. I find that a crock pot often overcooks a beef roast, especially if it has been left to cook all day. The beef becomes tough and dry. Sometimes the meat even becomes gray and pasty. I have memories of sitting at the table gnawing on a bite of beef that I just could not manage to chew and swallow. But this does not have to be the story of beef roast.
A beef roast is best cooked low and slow.
A beef roast benefits from searing before cooking.
The flavor of a beef roast can be enhanced with beef stock and simple sauce ingredients.
Water is not necessary.
Let’s rewrite the sad story of the “pot roast.” Our new “pot roast” story will be tender, rich, and savory.
CUT THE ROAST INTO CUBES OR SEAR IT WHOLE
I have made this recipe by first cutting the beef roast into 1-2 inch cubes. I’ve also made this recipe by leaving the roast whole. I find that if I take the time to trim the roast into cubes, I am able to remove some of the more significant pieces of fat. I never remove all of the fat, because fat equals flavor. However, when I don’t do any trimming before searing the roast, the final product is very fatty. On this go round, after cooking and chilling the roast, I removed about a half inch of solid fat from the top of the pot the following day.
Personally, I prefer to trim the roast before searing, but it can be done either way. Just know that the results will be different depending on the choice you make before cooking.
This is a chuck roast. I chose not to cut it into cubes. I left it on the bone with all of the fat. It made a nice beef roast, but also produced about a half inch of solid fat across the top of the pot after refrigerating the leftovers. I removed most of the fat the following day.
THE SAUCE
For this roast, after searing the beef, I deglaze the pot using Balsamic Vinegar. I add a bit of tomato paste to form the base for the sauce. Then, beef stock thins out the paste. In terms of other seasoning, I think the most important thing is using an ample amount of quality sea salt. I also like to add white pepper and thyme. You can definitely play around with fresh herbs. Fresh parsley, thyme, and rosemary would all be complementary additions to this sauce.
LOW AND SLOW
As I mentioned in “THE ‘POT ROAST’ OF MY PAST” section, overcooking a beef roast is detrimental to the final product. A roast cooked on high in a crockpot will be tough and dry, even if you make the effort to create a savory sauce. I find that a beef roast is best cooked between 275 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
I generally prefer to cook a beef roast in a Dutch Oven, which is a large cast iron pot with a lid. I find that a beef roast cooked below 300 degrees F for 4-5 hours is generally the sweet spot of tender, fall-apart beef. Never once has my young child complained that the beef is “unchewable.” In fact, it generally falls apart and melts like butter in the mouth. This cannot be accomplished when the roast is cooked too hot or for too long. So turn down the oven. Don’t leave the roast to cook all day. There is a peak beyond which the roast will begin to degrade.
Shred the beef after cooking.
After adding the shredded beef back to the pot, add the cut carrots and potatoes. This image shows the quantity of a double batch.
Use a double batch to take someone a meal.
When you tire of eating leftovers, you can use beef stock to thin the sauce. Add vegetables and cook until soft on the stovetop. The leftovers can easily be reinvented as a Vegetable Beef Soup.
As always, enjoy this recipe and make it your own!
Balsamic Beef Roast
Ingredients
– 2-3 lb. beef roast (chuck, pike’s peak, arm roast, etc.)
– Sea salt
– White pepper
– 2-3 tbsp. olive oil
– 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
– 1 large onion, rough chopped
– 4 garlic cloves, smashed
– 3 tbsp. tomato paste
– 2-3 c. beef stock
– 1-2 tsp. sea salt
– 2 tsp. dried thyme
– 1 tsp. dried rosemary
– 4-5 large carrots cut into bite sized pieces
– 1 lb. baby red and yellow potatoes, quartered
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 300 F.
2. See the section above entitled “CUT THE ROAST INTO CUBES OR SEAR IT WHOLE.” Based upon your choice, prepare the roast for searing. Whether you cut the roast or choose not to, liberally cover the roast in sea salt and white pepper.
3. Select a Dutch Oven or other oven-safe pot. Heat the pot over medium heat on a stovetop burner. When the pot is hot, add the olive oil and allow the oil to heat. Once the oil is hot, sear the roast on all sides. This is just to brown the outside and form a crust. Searing is not meant to cook the meat. When done, remove the beef from the pot.
4. To the hot pot, add the balsamic vinegar. Use this liquid to deglaze any crust that may have formed on the bottom of the pot. Add the chopped onion and garlic. Stir in the tomato paste. After all of this is thoroughly combined, add the beef stock to thin out this mixture. I begin with just two cups of beef stock. I reserve the third cup should the pot begin to dry out in the oven. It’s not always necessary.
5. Stir in the additional sea salt, dried thyme, and dried rosemary. Turn off the burner. Add the roast back into the pot, nestling it into this sauce. Put the lid on the pot and transfer it to the oven for 3-4 hours. The roast is done with this part of cooking when it falls apart with the touch of a fork.
6. When the roast is fall-apart tender, remove the pot from the oven and lightly shred the roast. (If you cooked the roast in one piece, you will need to remove the bone and any excess fat at this point.) Add the carrots and potatoes to the pot. Stir. Return it to the oven for about an hour. This part of the cooking process is done when the carrots and potatoes reach your desired texture.
7. When everything is cooked to your preference, remove the pot from the oven and serve the roast over rice or on its own with green vegetables. Enjoy! This makes for great leftovers. When you tire of the roast as is, thin the sauce with beef stock, add other vegetables and turn these leftovers into a Vegetable Beef Soup.
If you like this recipe, check out Jennifer’s new book, “The Grass-Fed Guide.” In this book, you will learn how to: find a local farmer, understand the labels and lingo, identify the cuts, and calculate the best deals. You will also learn how to cook with each of the varied cuts that come when buying beef in bulk.
Here on SpringForestFarm.com, Jennifer Taylor Schmidt writes beef recipes for the busy, natural homemaker. It is possible to seek optimal health with limited time and money. Join Jennifer in future posts as she explores the possibilities found in a 1/4 and a 1/2 beeve. She also offers recipes and nourishment for body, mind, and soul at RealFoodRealHealing.com.
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