Chef Daddy Cooks Up Some Pot Roast

Fall is upon us, and with it come the delicious rib-sticking dishes that are perfect for cool autumn evenings. Pot roast is one of those meals that, when done right, has few equals in the world of hearty cool weather cuisine. Unfortunately, it has the reputation of being hard to make, and is often tough and flavorless.

I confess that many of my early attempts at pot roasts didn't turn out very well. But by utilizing a few key ingredients, classical cooking techniques, and patience, I managed to overcome the tragedy of blah pot roast, and you can, too. Ready? Then let's begin!

First, you'll need to gather up your ingredients:

• 3 pounds beef chuck roast
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
• 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 4 carrots, cut into 2-inch sections
• 1 cup red wine
• 3 cups beef stock
• Bouquet garni, made from 1 celery stalk, 2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, and 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 juniper berries, crushed (optional)

A successful pot roast is a team collaboration. Your primary team is Team Meat, so let's begin with that. You'll want to get something cheap like a chuck roast. The same gristle and connective tissue and stuff that would make this cut of meat tough and chewy when cooked quickly like a steak will make it tender and flavorful and wonderful in a slow cooked pot roast.

Make sure your meat is at room temperature, and liberally season it on all sides with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 275º, and heat the olive oil in a heavy ovenproof dutch oven or pot over medium high heat. A pot that retains heat, like a cast iron Le Creuset, is really the most effective tool here. When the oil is good and hot (but not smoking) add Team Meat to the pan.

Let the meat sizzle and sear away. Resist the temptation to move it around in the pan. What we're trying to do here is build a nice crust on the outside of the roast, so let it cook away for at least five minutes without disturbing it, then flip it over and repeat on the other side. If you're doing things right you'll see some nice color, like in the photo above right. When both sides are good and browned, remove from the pot and set aside.

Now, see that crusty brown stuff on the bottom of the pan? That's what the French call fond, or what local TV celebrichef Guy Fieri might call the express bus to Flavortown. At this point you'll want to get Team Liquid ready. Team Liquid comprises red wine—in this case a nice pinot noir—and beef broth; together they'll form the flavorful liquid that we braise our meat. Open your wine so it's at the ready. You should taste a little of the wine to make sure it's OK… Oh, who am I kidding—pour yourself a nice big glass to sip on while you work. (If you don't want to use the wine feel free to omit and add another cup of beef broth.)

Next, we turn our attention to Team Vegetable, which in this recipe is carrot, onion, and garlic. Add a little more olive oil to the pot if needed, then add the onions and turn the heat down to medium low. Gently cook the onions to get them nicely browned for about 5 minutes.

Now add in the carrots and do the same thing. You're not aiming to burn them, but get a nice caramelized brown color on everything, which is going to add a lot of flavor to your pot roast. Cook the onions and carrots for another 5 minutes or so, then add the garlic and cook for about another 2 minutes. You really don't want to burn the garlic.

Once Team Vegetable is nice and brown and delicious, raise the heat to medium high and get ready to bring Team Liquid into action. When the pan is nice and hot, pour in the wine. Now deglaze the pan, which means you're going to take a wooden spoon and scrape up all that good brown stuff on the bottom of the pot (Flavortown, remember?) and incorporate it into the wine. When you're done, let the wine boil and reduce for a minute or two, then pour in the broth.

Bring Team Meat back into the game and return it to the pot, placing it so that the cooking liquid covers most of it; you may have to rearrange some onions and carrots to make some room.

I made a bouquet garni, which is basically a celery stalk cut into two pieces between which I added some aromatic herbs: a bay leaf, fresh thyme, parsley, and a few celery leaves. Normally I'd tie it up with some kitchen string, but I couldn't find any and just used some toothpicks to hold the bouquet garni together, which to my surprise worked really well. Nestle the bouquet garni into the pot alongside the meat.

I also crushed a few juniper berries with the side of my chef's knife and threw them in the pot, too, but if you don't happen to have any don't worry about it. I just happen to like the subtle flavor they impart.

Cover the pot and put it in the oven, then go find something to do for 3 hours while the pot roast cooks. Remember when I mentioned "patience" up above? This isn't something you bash together after work. It's more of a "slow food" experience.

At the end of the three hours, remove the pot from the oven and behold the glory that is your perfectly cooked pot rost. Carefully life out the meat—it's going to be ready to fall apart—and put it on a cutting board. Tent the meat with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.

Slice the pot roast and place with the carrots on a warm serving platter. Drizzle the whole thing with some of the cooking juices. This is great accompanied by some mashed potatoes or buttered noodles. You can serve more of the cooking liquid at the table in a gravy boat. You can even thicken it up a bit if you like by adding a tablespoon of cornstarch (dissolve it in some of the cooking liquid and add back into the pot and stir over medium heat until the sauce thickens).

This is one meal that everybody in the family eats. My kids are even big fans of the cooked carrots!