Pot roast is a true classic. Super tender beef smothered in a rich, flavorful gravy serve along side carrots, onions and mashed potatoes. It is the ultimate meal to serve for Sunday dinner or to friends and family that you want to make feel quite special.
This pot roast takes a modern twist on the classic flavors by adding balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and freshly brewed coffee to the braising liquid to create a subtly sweet, rich, savory gravy that is simply on another level than your average beef gravy.
If you have been searching for a super flavorful, tender pot roast then you will definitely want to give this one a try. Let’s get started…
Begin by gathering your ingredients. Everything comes together pretty quick, so if you prepare ahead of time, this pot roast will go super smooth.
The first step is to let your beef sit out at room temperature for about 45 minutes. This will give the beef time to relax before you begin searing it, which will result in a much more tender pot roast.
While the beef is relaxing, preheat your oven to 325 degrees and chop a large yellow onion, 8 medium carrots and finely mince 4 cloves of garlic. You will also need some olive oil, butter, 2 cups of beef broth, 1 cup of coffee, a bay leaf, 2 tablespoons worcestershire, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.
Prepare your chuck roast by patting the entire roast dry with paper towels and generously season all sides with salt, black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Seasoning your beef before searing it is a very important step towards a flavorful finished product. This will guarantee that the meat has flavor locked inside and not just in the gravy.
Next, light dust the roast with all purpose flour. Sprinkle all purpose flour over the entire roast and gently massage it over each surface. This will help the beef form a nice crust during the searing process, which will help lock the moisture in during the roasting process.
Now that the beef is prepared, add a few tablespoons of olive oil into your braiser or dutch oven and place it over medium heat. This is the vessel that you will roast everything in, so make sure that it is both oven safe and large enough to hold all of the ingredients.
Place the beef into the braiser and let it sear for about 5 minutes undisturbed or until the underside has formed a nice crust. Carefully rotate the beef to the other side and continue rotating until all surfaces have been seared. Transfer the seared beef onto a plate and leave the braiser over medium heat.
Add 2 tablespoons of butter into the braiser and as soon as it has melted, add your finely minced garlic and chopped onion and cook for about 90 seconds. As soon as the garlic is fragrant, add 2 cups of beef broth into the braiser and use a wooden spoon to work up any brown bits from the bottom of the braiser.
Add 1 cup of coffee, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and a big pinch of salt and black pepper and bring the mixture to a simmer.
As soon as it begins to simmer, add the seared roast, chopped carrots and a bay leaf back into the braiser. Cover the braiser and transfer it into a preheated 325 degree oven to roast for about 2 hours.
Two hours was perfect for my chuck roast, which was 3 1/2 pounds and not super thick, but if you are using a thicker or heavier chuck roast, I would increase the roasting time by 30 or even 60 minutes. As long as you don’t pull it out early, a pot roast can roast at low temps for a while and it only gets more tender.
If you are unsure how long to roast your pot roast, simply work a fork into one of the thickest parts of the roast around the 2 hour mark and if it falls apart easily, you are good to go, but if you are met with too much resistance, leave it in for a bit longer.
To create your gravy, transfer the roast and vegetables onto a platter and place the braiser over medium heat.
While the sauce in the braiser is coming to a simmer, combine 5 tablespoons of all purpose flour with 1/2 cup of beef stock and whisk until smooth. Slowly whisk the the mixture into the braiser and let the gravy simmer until it begins to thicken.
I highly suggest served your pot roast with mashed potatoes, because it is just such a classic pairing. Here are some of my favorites…
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- Creamy Mashed Potatoes – a true classic
- Garlic & Herb Mashed Red Potatoes – super flavorful, no peeling required
- Whipped Parsnips – a unique twist on the classic
- Mashed Cauliflower – a super creamy, healthy option with less carbs, but loads of flavor
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Whatever you pair this beautifully tender pot roast with, one thing is for sure, you are going to absolutely love how incredibly flavorful it is!
By starting the roast with a generously seasoned sear, so much flavor was locked into the beef and the gravy is pretty much drinkable on it own. The worcestershire sauce adds an interesting tanginess, the brown sugar helps to balance the savoriness and adding coffee to the braising liquid both helps to tenderize the beef and add a fabulously earthy flavor to the gravy.
It is a wonderfully delicious pot roast that you are going to love, so the next time you are searching for something special to serve someone special make this pot roast… you’ll be so glad that you did.
Classic Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 3 1/2-4 pounds of chuck roast
- salt, black pepper garlic powder and onion powder
- 1/4 cup of all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 8 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 2 cups of beef broth
- 1 cup of freshly brewed coffee
- a bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- 5 tablespoons of all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup of beef broth
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees
- Dry the roast with paper towels and season all sides with salt, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder
- Lightly coat the entire roast in all purpose flour
- Place a large braised or dutch oven over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Once the oil is warm, sear the entire surface of the roast until deeply browned and then transfer the roast to a plate and set aside
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter into the braiser along with 4 cloves of finely minced garlic and a chopped yellow onion
- Cook stirring constantly until the garlic is fragrant (about 90 seconds)
- Add 2 cups of beef broth, 1 cup of coffee, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and a big pinch of salt and black pepper and and bring to a simmer
- Once simmering, add the chopped carrots, a bay leaf and the seared roast
- Cover the braiser and transfer to a 325 degree over for 2 hours or until very tender
- Carefully transfer the roast and vegetables onto a platter and return the braiser with the sauce to medium heat
- While the sauce comes to a simmer, whisk 5 tablespoons of all purpose flour with 1/2 cup of beef stock until smooth and then slowly whisk this mixture into the sauce
- Let the gravy simmer until it thickens
- Slice the roast and serve with the carrots, onions and gravy