Marie Saba

From My Kitchen To Yours

My mom’s pot roast is at the top of our fall menu favorites and I can’t wait for you to try it! When we were growing up, my mom would make this on a weekend, when she wasn’t working and had time to cook for our busy family of six. She served it with buttered wide egg noodles (my favorite), or mashed potatoes (if my dad or brothers were willing to make them!).

My mom’s original recipe was very simple, basically just beef, vegetables and herbs. I prefer to punch up the flavor a bit with red wine, butter, and Worcestershire.

The key ingredient for a slow-cooked roast is, of course, patience. The roast cooks in a large Dutch oven for around four hours. At the three hour mark, the beef will feel tight and tough. But don’t worry. With one more hour, it will soften to fall-apart tender.

For serving, a crisp Caesar salad on the side is delicious. We also love a loaf of warm bread, buttered egg noodles, or mashed potatoes. Enjoy my mom’s pot roast with friends or family at the dinner table, around the kitchen counter, perched on the couch, or in front of a crackling fire.

Mom’s Pot Roast

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil
1 (3 lb., 1.36 Kg) boneless chuck roast
Salt and pepper, for seasoning
1 cup (473 mL) dry red wine
3 Tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons (30 mL) Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon (12 g) sugar
3-4 carrots (140 g), peeled and sliced
1 large yellow onion (300 g), halved and sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz. (454 g) sliced mushrooms
2 dried bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme

For serving: wide egg noodles, grated parmesan, Truffle salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (148 degrees C).
Generously season roast with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. When oil is shimmery, add roast and sear until browned and releases easily, about 5 minutes per side. Remove roast from pot and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium. Add red wine to Dutch oven. Stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add butter, Worcestershire, and sugar. Cook about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn off heat.
Carefully add browned beef back to pot. Scatter onions, carrots, garlic, mushrooms, bay leaves and rosemary sprig around the beef. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Cover with lid. Bake at 300 F (148 C) for about 4 hours. Roast is ready when it shreds easily with a fork. Serve warm with buttered egg noodles, and top with grated parmesan and a pinch of Truffle salt, if desired.

Make-Ahead Tip: Roast can be made up to 2 days ahead. Let cool; cover and refrigerate. Reheat, covered, in a 350 F (176 C) oven.

*I use affiliate links for my favorite products. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks so much for helping me keep this website up and running!