Pot Roast
426kcal32.3g protein21.9g fat18.4g carbs~$2.56/ serving*Estimates computed from the ingredient list; cost uses average US supermarket prices. Not a substitute for packaging measurements or your receipt.
Contains gluten, dairy · only in an optional ingredient: fish
Restrictions
Containsgluten · dairyIt is in an ingredient you cannot leave out.
Only if you add itfish (worcestershire sauce)Leave that ingredient out and the dish does not have it.
Diets
No pork
Worked out from the ingredient list. It knows nothing about brands, shared equipment or cross contamination, and it is not a certification — if you have an allergy, you still have to read the label.
Ingredients
Servings:
| 2 lb |  beef chuck roast (whole, tied) |
| 1 ½ tsp | salt |
| ½ tsp |  black pepper (coarse ground) |
| 1 tbsp | vegetable oil |
| 1 unit |  onion (quartered) |
| 2 unit |  celery (cut in 2-inch lengths) |
| 3 clove |  garlic (smashed) |
| 1 tbsp |  tomato paste |
| ¾ cup |  red wine (dry) |
| 2 cup |  beef stock |
| 3 sprig |  thyme |
| 1 unit |  bay leaf |
| 3 unit |  carrot (cut in 2-inch lengths) |
| 1 lb |  potato (halved) |
| 1 tbsp |  butter (softened) |
| 1 tbsp |  flour |
Optional
Not counted above. The dish works without them.
| 1 tsp |  worcestershire sauce |
| 1 tsp |  red wine vinegar |
| 2 tbsp |  parsley (chopped) |
Steps
- Season45 minroom temperature, uncoveredbeef chuck + salt + black pepper on all faces, then leave it on a rack — the salt first pulls moisture to the surface and then that brine is reabsorbed, seasoning the interior, and the surface left behind is dry. A wet roast cannot brown; it boils in its own weep.
- Sear12 minhigh, oil just shimmeringbeef in oil, 4-5 minutes per major face without moving it, until the crust is deep brown and releases on its own — this crust is most of the finished flavor, and it forms nowhere else in the recipe. Then set the meat aside.
- Saute6 minmedium, in the beef fat+ onion + celery + garlic in the rendered fat, scraping the fond loose as they release water
- Caramelize2 minmedium, stirring constantly+ tomato paste, until it darkens from red to brick and smells sweet rather than tinny — raw paste stays sour through a three-hour braise, so this two minutes is not optional
- Deglaze5 minhigh, reducing+ red wine, scraping the pot floor bare, and reduce by half so the alcohol cooks off and leaves the acid behind
- Braise150 minoven 300°F, lid on+ beef stock + thyme + bay + the seared beef and its juices. Liquid should reach only halfway up the roast — the top braises in trapped steam, and a fully submerged roast simply boils, giving pale meat and washed-out sauce. Hold it here: the collagen in chuck only dissolves into gelatin above roughly 160°F held for hours, which is why this cut goes tough at 150°F and tender again at 200°F.
- Braise60 minoven 300°F, lid on+ carrot + potato tucked around the meat, until a fork slides into the roast with no resistance and twists free — doneness here is texture, not temperature reading alone
- Rest20 minloosely covered, off heatbeef lifted out with the vegetables, while the gelatin-rich juices redistribute and the sliced meat stops flooding the board
- Reduce10 minmedium, uncovered, skimming fatstrained braising liquid + butter mashed with flour whisked in a pinch at a time, until it coats a spoon = gravy. Whisk the flour into soft butter first: dry flour hitting hot liquid hydrates on the outside of each clump and seals the inside, which is where lumps come from. Finish with worcestershire or a splash of vinegar if the sauce tastes flat and heavy — three hours of reduction dulls acid before it dulls salt.
- Top3 minbeef pulled into thick pieces along the grain + carrots + potatoes + gravy spooned over + parsley