Ingredients for Pot Roast:
- 1 (5- to 6-lb.) boneless chuck roast
- ¼ c. Homemade Beef Rub (see below) or your favorite commercial rub
- ¼ c. all-purpose flour
- ⅓ c. olive oil
- 1 med. onion, sliced
- 3 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 2 cans Campbell’s beef consommé
- 1½ c. full-bodied red wine
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 2–3 sprigs fresh rosemary
Ingredients for Homemade Beef Rub:
- 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. celery salt
- 1 tsp. lemon peel powder (or finely grated dried lemon zest)
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- ½ tsp. white pepper
- ½ tsp. ground ginger
- ½ tsp. dried oregano
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. citric acid (optional)
Directions for Homemade Beef Rub:
- Whisk all ingredients together.
- Store in an airtight container.
Note: This rub is inspired by the beloved Lysander’s Beef Rub, which I used for many years, but is no longer in production. The lemon-citrus brightness paired with ginger warmth and celery undertone is what made that rub so distinctive, and this blend attempts to capture that same character.
Directions for Pot Roast:
- Preheat oven to 275°F.
- Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels. Mix the flour and beef rub together in a shallow dish. Coat the roast on all sides with the seasoned flour, pressing to adhere. Reserve any leftover seasoned flour.
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the roast until a deep golden-brown crust forms on all sides, about 5 minutes per side. Do not move the roast while it sears. Remove the roast to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the sliced onion and celery to the pot. Cook 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften. Add the garlic and cook another 1–2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and stir into the vegetables, cooking about 1 minute until it darkens slightly.
- Pour in the red wine and use a wooden spoon or whisk to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the wine simmer for 1–2 minutes.
- Stir in the beef consommé and Worcestershire sauce. If you have leftover seasoned flour, whisk it in now to help thicken the gravy.
- Return the roast to the pot, nestling it into the liquid. Lay the rosemary sprigs on top of the roast. The liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the meat.
- Cover with a tight-fitting lid and bake at 275°F for 4½ to 5 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender and pulls apart easily. A natural gravy will form in the pot.
- Remove rosemary sprigs. Serve in pieces or shred the meat, spooning the pot gravy over the top.
Cook’s Notes:
The seasoned flour coating builds a beautiful crust during searing that also thickens the gravy as it braises. Dredging before searing—rather than adding the flour after—gives you deeper, more developed flavor.
Use a full-bodied red wine, never cooking wine. Cooking wine contains added salt and preservatives that can leave a harsh, metallic note in the gravy. I have a particular fondness for Bordeauxs and Italian reds—use anything you’d enjoy drinking a glass of while you cook.
The lower oven temperature (275°F instead of 350°F) gives the connective tissue in the chuck roast more time to break down into gelatin, producing the melt-in-your-mouth texture without any risk of the outside drying out. The roast needs more time at this temperature, but the tenderness is worth it.
Deglazing the pot after searing is the secret step. All those dark, caramelized bits stuck to the bottom of the Dutch oven are pure concentrated beef flavor. The wine lifts them right into the braising liquid.
The Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste are small additions that add layers of umami depth without being identifiable in the finished dish. They’re the reason people will say they can’t quite figure out what makes this pot roast so good.
My family likes mashed potatoes and glazed carrots with their pot roast. The gravy from the pot is wonderful spooned over the mashed potatoes.
Enjoy!