Braised Pot Roast with Baby Carrots and Crispy Shallots

I love cooking large cuts of meat like pot roast. It is very satisfying to pull a tender, succulent roast from the Dutch oven and cut it into large chunks, arrange on a platter and calmly accept the compliments. Pot roast is from a larger group of muscles that come from the shoulder or chuck. The meat is considered an economy cut because it is relatively inexpensive. 

Pot roast needs the slow, leisurely braise in a flavorful liquid to bring out the flavor and to melt the connective tissue. The more flavorful the braising liquid, the better the flavor of the final end result. Be sure to use a lot of aromatic herbs and vegetables for your braising liquid. 

I also try to use a tasty wine that is actually drinking quality and not one meant only for cooking. Those wines are inferior and not tasty. I recommend a full-bodied dry red wine, such as cabernet sauvignon.

Use the Jamie Geller Hungarian Rub to coat the meat instead of salt and pepper before searing, you won’t believe how amazing your brisket will be.

Braised Pot Roast with Baby Carrots and Crispy Shallots

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

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Servings

Ingredients

• 1 4-pound pot roast
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
• Olive oil
• 2 medium red onions sliced
• 2 medium carrots diced
• 2 celery ribs diced
• 8-10 large garlic cloves minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cups good-quality dry red wine
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 bouquet garnish: parsley stems thyme sprigs, rosemary sprig, bay leaf tied in a cheese cloth, or I like to tie the herbs around a celery rib with butcher’s twine (this makes easy retrieval)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325°F or slow cooker to LOW.
•  Heat a large Dutch oven or sauté pan, lightly coated with olive oil, over medium-high heat. Pat dry the roast and generously season the meat with salt and pepper.
•  Add the meat to the pan and brown on all sides until caramelized. Transfer the meat to a dish or insert for slow cooker, and set aside.
•  Add the vegetables, in batches, and add oil if necessary. Brown the vegetables, being sure to season each batch with salt and pepper. Transfer each batch to the insert for the slow cooker or pan.
•  To the last batch of vegetables, add the tomato paste, and sear the paste until it has darkened and is very fragrant. The paste should be dark red and not black!
•  Add wine to the sauté pan and scrape up an browned bits with a spatula.
•  Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker or Dutch oven. Cover and braise for 2-2.5 hours or until a fork can be easily inserted and pulled out of the meat.
•  Carefully remove the meat and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
•  Strain out the vegetables and bouquet garni and discard. Pour the braising liquid into a saucepan and reduce by 2/3 over medium heat or until the liquid coats the back of a spoon. The liquid should be similar to a glaze thickness.
•  Cut the pot roast into large chunks and arrange on a platter. Drizzle with sauce and pass extra sauce around the table.
• Plate with Roasted Carrots and Crispy Shallots.