As I’m eating meat again, after being a vegetarian for 6 years, I’ve realized there are a lot of recipes that sort of have a sentimental, nostalgic memory tied to them. Recipes that when making the transition back to carnivore I couldn’t wait to make again. Pot roast is one of those nostalgic recipes. It’s a comforting dish that I had truly missed, and was excited to return to.
But pot roast is pot roast; if-it’s-not-broken-don’t-fix-it right? That being said, I knew if I made it again that I did want to try kicking it up a notch. See in the past, I would always just throw the chuck roast into a crock pot with a few simple ingredients. Easy breezy and classic. But as I did a little recipe researching, I decided that I wanted to do a red wine braised pot roast with my favorite Dutch oven. Just like with the crockpot, this new way would still be a one-pot meal, and honestly just as simple.
The red wine and braising technique adds another depth of flavor that was almost too good to be true. It cooked the cut of meat for the perfect amount of time; it was so tender that it fell off my fork. The braising crisps the outside on a high heat, while cooking the center at a lower heat to make it just right. And like all of my recipes, I went heavy on the garlic and onion, which paired perfectly with the red wine and fresh thyme. In the end you still had everything you love about a classic pot roast, just with a bit more bite if you will.
Plus another reason to love this red wine braised pot roast; it’s one of those recipes you could eat off for days, which is always a bonus in my book. My dad loves to make cold pot roast sandwiches the next day with white bread and mustard…may be as good, if not better, than the meal the night before! Truly, MKR
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups chopped onions in quarters
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 large carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- Fresh thyme leaves (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chuck roast with salt and pepper. Add roast to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove roast from pan. Add onion to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender.
- Return browned roast to pan. Add the red wine, thyme sprigs, chopped garlic, beef broth, and bay leaf to pan; bring to a simmer. Cover pan and bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours or until the roast is almost tender.
- Add carrots and potatoes to pan. Cover and bake an additional 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf from pan; discard. Shred meat with 2 forks. Serve roast with vegetable mixture and cooking liquid. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desired.
