1cupdry white wine, or another cup of chicken broth
2Tablespoonstomato paste
2Tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
To finish gravy:
1teaspoonprepared horseradish
1teaspoongrainy mustard, or Dijon mustard, using a bit less
2Tablespoonsfull-fat sour cream, or substitute heavy cream
To thicken gravy, if necessary:
2Tablespoonscornstarch
2Tablespoonscold water
Prevent your screen from going dark
Instructions
Preheat oven to 250F. (not fan assisted)
Pat the roast dry with a paper towel. Brush the roast with 1 Tbsp of the olive oil, then season all over the salt and freshly ground pepper. (If roast has a string, leave the string on the roast).
Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in a Dutch oven (or similar oven-safe pot with a lid) on the stove-top, over medium-high heat. Add the roast and cook until the underside in nicely browned, about 3-4 minutes, then flip the roast and brown the other side an additional 3-4 minutes.
While beef is browning, prepare the carrots, onion and garlic and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, wine and tomato paste to combine.
When roast has browned, remove to a plate. Pour broth/wine mixture into the pot and stir, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan and heating the liquid to a simmer. Add the carrots, onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Return the roast and any juices on the pate to the pot. Flip the roast once or twice in the liquid to moisten. Place cover on the Dutch oven and place into preheated 250F oven. Roast covered for about 4 hours or until very tender (170-190F internal temperature). *I like to flip the roast once or twice during the cooking time, though it's not absolutely necessary.
Remove roast, carrots and onion to a plate to rest and tent with a sheet of aluminum foil to keep warm. *Carrots and onion may or may not be great for eating, If they are quite greasy, you may want to pass on them, though they will still make a nice garnish for the serving plate.
Strain the remaining liquid with a slotted spoon and discard any solids. *Alternately, you can strain the liquid completely into a medium saucepan and if your roast was particularly fatty, you may wish to use a gravy separator to remove some of the fat from the gravy liquid. Heat the liquid on the stove-top over medium heat until boiling, then reduce heat slightly and simmer 5-7 minutes to reduce.
Once gravy has reduced, whisk in horseradish and mustard. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and a couple of tablespoons of the hot gravy mixture (this helps to prevent the sour cream from curdling). Add the sour cream mixture to the gravy and whisk well to combine. If you want your gravy thicken, mix up the cornstarch and cold water and add a bit at a time to the gravy, until it thickens to your liking. Taste gravy and season with additional salt and pepper, as needed. You can also add a bit more mustard and/or horseradish at this point if you'd like a bit more of those flavours.
To serve, remove string from roast, if stringed. Slice pot roast. Serve warm beef slices with the carrots and onions and drizzled with warm gravy.
Notes
1. A Chuck Roast is widely considered the best cut of beef for pot roast. Here in Canada, it is called a Blade Roast (Top Blade or Bottom Blade also). Shoulder, Brisket or Cross Rib Roasts are other good options. Many times, grocery stores will include the wording "Pot Roast" right on the label, so you know it's a good choice for a pot roast, or if in doubt, ask the butcher to pick you out a perfect pot roast cut.You can make pot roast ahead (and in fact, many people prefer a pot roast made ahead). Simply refrigerate the beef and the cooking liquid separately. Make the gravy when ready to serve and re-heat the beef wrapped in foil and warmed in a 350F oven. Refrigerating the cooking liquid also offers the benefit of being able to spoon the fat easily off the top before making the gravy.Be sure to scroll up and read the notes above this Recipe Card and my Pot Roast FAQ for more tips on making this recipe.