Pot Roast

Recipe from Gavin Kaysen

Adapted by Brett Anderson

Updated Aug. 17, 2023

Pot Roast
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
3 hours
Rating
4(5,655)
Comments
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At Spoon and Stable, his Minneapolis restaurant, Gavin Kaysen cooks a version of his grandmother Dorothy’s pot roast using paleron (or flat iron roast), the shoulder cut of beef commonly used in pot au feu, as well as housemade sugo finto, a vegetarian version of meat sauce made with puréed tomatoes and minced carrot, celery, onions and herbs. This recipe uses a chuck roast and tomato paste, both easier to find and still delicious. —Brett Anderson

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings
  • 3pound boneless beef chuck roast
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 3tablespoons canola oil
  • 4tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2medium red onions, cut into quarters
  • 4carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 3stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1rutabaga, peeled and cut into 12 to 16 pieces, about a pound
  • 8cremini mushrooms, halved
  • 2parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1head garlic, top cut off to expose cloves
  • ¾cup tomato paste
  • 2bay leaves
  • 3sprigs rosemary
  • 1½cups red wine, preferably cabernet
  • 4cups beef broth
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

635 calories; 40 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 2 grams trans fat; 19 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 38 grams protein; 1279 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Season meat generously with salt and pepper. On the stove top, heat oil in a large Dutch oven, or other heavy roasting pan with a lid, over medium-high heat. Sear the meat until a dark crust forms, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove meat to a plate.

  2. Step 2

    Reduce heat to medium and add butter to the pan. Melt the butter and add the whole head of garlic and vegetables, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pot, until the vegetables start to color, 8 to 10 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until it darkens slightly, about 5 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Add bay leaves, rosemary and wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a thick gravy consistency, 5 to 7 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Return meat to the pot. Add broth, then cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 hours 20 minutes.

  6. Step 6

    Let roast sit at room temperature for at least 10 minutes. Remove meat to a cutting board to slice. Discard bay leaves and rosemary stems. Squeeze any garlic cloves remaining in their skins into the stew and discard the skins. Serve slices of meat in shallow bowls along with the vegetables and a generous amount of cooking liquid ladled over top.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
5,655 user ratings
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Comments

Michelle

I'm confused by the garlic...you put the entire head in the stew and cook it mixed up in there, and then squeeze out the bulbs and throw out the skins? That seems really messy. Could I just roast some garlic in the oven and then add it to the stew later, or does it need to cook with the stew to get melded flavors?

ferguson

3/4 cup of tomato paste is a standard small can so don't get the measuring cup dirty
This was lovely

TimG

You get tremendous earthy flavors from the rutabaga and parsnips — in fact they're the most flavorful of all the vegs in this recipe, so I sure wouldn't leave them out.

Jeanne

Made per the recipe except swapped turnips for rutabegas and skipped the parsnips (childhood trauma vegetable). Delicious! So good and wouldn't change a thing. Served with leftover Thanksgiving mashed potatoes and it was the perfect meal for a cold night.

bibi

OK I made this last night. The broth was amazing, but I guess I was expecting the meat to be on the falling-apart side of done.... but the meat (I got a chuck roast) seemed tougher than it should've been. Did I cook too long? I think I had it in there for 2 1/4 hours. Everyone else thought it was good but I wasn't happy with the meat 100%.... any suggestions? I'd love to try this again.

Meg

Made this a few times now and it’s become my go-to pot roast. Like some others in the comments, I’ve tried it with peeled whole cloves of garlic as well as directed, and the unpeeled bulb gives a more mellow umami note to the gravy that makes squeezing out the cloves worth it. Also like some others, cooking it a day earlier is a good move, especially if you’re entertaining. The flavors meld nicely, you can skim the fat easily, and the chuck is a bit easier to slice. This last time, I had lots of leftovers. Everything froze and reheated just fine—I sliced the meat before freezing and stored separately from portioned veggies and gravy. It also became the most delicious leftover beef & barley soup! Blitz the defrosted veggies and jus with some stock (any works, I used chicken bc it was on hand), simmer, add bite-sized chunks of beef, then a hefty handful of shredded kale. When the greens are softened, spoon the soup over cooked barley (so the grains don’t absorb too much liquid), and enjoy this hug in a bowl!

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Credits

Adapted from Gavin Kaysen

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