POT ROAST

On this episode of Basics, I'm going to show you how to make two different kinds of pot roast: a classic Yankee roast that's as American as apple pie, plus a modern take on the classic French pot roast.

Special Equipment List

Dutch oven or braising pot

Mesh sieve

Shopping List

For Classic American Pot Roast:

  • 9 carrots, peeled (5 chopped for mirepoix, 4 chopped into larger pieces for roast)

  • 1 small yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped

  • 5 ribs celery, washed and chopped

  • 1 eye round beef roast

  • Kosher salt

  • Black pepper

  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 2 sprigs of rosemary

  • 2 sprigs thyme

  • 2 cartons beef broth, divided

  • Dry red wine

  • 4 russet potatoes, peeled and quartered

For Fancy-Ass Pot Roast:

  • 1 rib celery, chopped

  • 2 sprigs parsley, plus an additional 1/2 cup chopped parsley

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • 2 sprigs thyme

  • 3 bay leaves

  • 1 small yellow onion, halved

  • 2 whole cloves

  • 1 leek, sliced (just the white part)

  • 1/2 tsp whole peppercorns

  • Kosher salt

  • Black pepper

  • 4 boneless short ribs

  • 2 marrow bones, about 4-5 inches in length

  • Water or beef broth for braising

  • 6 cornichons, finely chopped

  • 1/4 cup finely minced chives

  • 2 Tbsp dijon mustard

  • Dash of white wine vinegar

  • 1 lb red potatoes, halved

  • 4 carrots, peeled, quartered, and cut into 4-inch segments

  • 1 bunch asparagus, halved

  • Flaky sea salt

Method

For Classic American Pot Roast

  1. Peel and chop 4-5 medium carrots and 1 small onion along with 4-5 ribs of celery. Place in a bowl and set aside.

  2. Next take your eye round roast and season the exterior heavily with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Let sit for an hour.

  3. In a large pot, add your roast along with some vegetable oil and cook over medium high heat. Sear all sides of the roast. Once all sides are brown, remove and set aside.

  4. Add your bowl of chopped vegetables to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes or until soft (scraping up the fond) and then add tomato paste. Stir to combine.

  5. Add 3 cloves of garlic along with 2 bay leaves and a couple sprigs each of rosemary and thyme. Mix to combine and season minimally with salt and pepper.

  6. Add 1 carton of beef broth and stir. Put the roast back into the pot. Fill the pot with red wine and beef broth - adding enough to come up about ⅔ of the way up the roast. Partially cover with lid and place in a 325°F oven for 2-3 hours.

  7. Peel and quarter 4 russet potatoes. Peel and cut 4 carrots into 1-inch pieces.

  8. Remove roast pot from the oven, flip the roast and add your potatoes and carrots into the broth. Place back in the oven uncovered for 45-60 minutes. Remove roast at your desired texture and temperature.

  9. Remove from the oven, slice up the roast, serve and enjoy!

 

For Fancy-Ass Pot Roast

  1. Start by chopping your celery and leeks. Cut your onion in half. Add one clove to each half of the onion. In a large pot add your celery, onion, garlic cloves, bay leaves, sliced leek, and fresh thyme. Next add (2) 4-5 inch marrow bones and your boneless short ribs on top of the aromatics.

  2. Next, fill the pot with either water or beef broth and fill it ⅔ of the way on the sides of the meat. Bring to a boil and skim off any scum that floats to the top. Then cover and place in a 325°F oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours, flipping the beef once halfway through. Remove the meat and marrow bones from the pot and then strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve. Add the broth back to the pot and bring to a low simmer.

  3. Remove the marrow from the bones and finely chop. In a bowl combine the marrow, ½ a cup of chopped parsley, 6 finely chopped cornichon pickles, ¼ cup finely chopped chives, 2 Tbsp of dijon mustard, and a dash of white wine vinegar. Mix to combine and set aside.

  4. Once the broth has cooked for about 20 minutes remove the fat from the top and add enough water to create 5 cups of liquid. Next add your halved red potatoes which you’re going to let simmer for 6 minutes before adding your carrots. 10 minutes later add asparagus and let everything steam for 3-4 minutes. Remove veggies from pot and add to a bowl. Add a few Tbsp of the sauce to the veggies and toss to combine.

  5. In a small bowl add your veggies topped with some sliced short ribs. Add some broth to the bowl and top your short rib with your dijon sauce. Serve and enjoy!

 
Guest Userpot roast, yankee roast, french pot roast