Dutch Oven Cooking: Slow Roasted Pot Roast

Fill Your House with Fall Aromas Then Gather Around the Table

© Brigette Zavala

Sep 27, 2008

When the crisp, cool season of fall moves in, cooks across cities and towns begin to think about their favorite comfort foods. They pull out old recipes, seek new ones, and switch out the list of ingredients on their weekly shopping lists. Hearty fall ingredients such as broths, roasts, and vegetables begin to take the place of summer’s refreshing foods.

If you are an experienced cook and own a Dutch oven, you know that it is one of the best kitchen essentials for fall cooking, especially slow roasting with any type of cooking liquid. Because Dutch ovens have higher sides than shallower roasting pans, more moisture collects in the pot, resulting in tender meats and flavorful juices. Loaded with an array of ingredients, the Dutch oven goes easily from the stove top to the oven, where complementary foods mingle with each other, resulting in a savory, satisfying meal with little clean up.

If you recently purchased a Dutch oven but have not had the opportunity to use it, now is the time to create mouthwatering meals with lasting memories. Food is a great way to provide a sense of closeness and comfort for people, and fall and winter are the best seasons for doing just that.

Cooking in a Dutch oven is as easy as 1-2-3. Here is one classic comfort food recipe – Slow Roasted Pot Roast – specifically for Dutch oven cooking. This pleasing pot roast pairs well with Roasted Root Vegetables. Serve this mouthwatering meal and, by the end of the evening, your dinner guests will be feeling warm and cozy.

Slow Roasted Pot Roast

Ingredients

• 1 3-pound beef chuck roast
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, cut in half lengthwise then sliced crosswise
• 4 large cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, with juice
• ½ cup red wine
• 2 cups beef bouillon broth (2 bouillon cubes and 2 cups hot water)
• 1 large bay leaf
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with 2 tablespoons water, optional
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Heat Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
3. Season meat with salt and pepper then sprinkle lightly with flour.
4. Add oil to Dutch oven then place the meat inside; searing both sides until browned, about 10 minutes.
5. Transfer browned meat to a plate and pour all but 2 tablespoons of oil from the Dutch oven.
6. Add onion to Dutch oven and cook for 4 minutes.
7. Add garlic to Dutch oven and cook for 1 minute.
8. Add tomatoes to Dutch oven and cook for 2 minutes, breaking tomatoes up with the back of a wooden spoon.
9. Add wine to Dutch oven, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
10. Add beef bouillon broth, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs to Dutch oven. Bring to a boil.
11. Carefully return roast to the pan, nestling it in the liquid.
12. Cover Dutch oven with its lid then place in the oven.
13. Cook for about 1 ½ hours, until the roast is just tender. Remove the lid and continue to cook, uncovered, for 1 hour more.
14. Remove pot from the oven and carefully transfer the roast to a plate. Cover roast loosely with foil.
15. Skim the fat from the surface of the roasting liquid that is still in the Dutch oven. Discard fat.
16. Remove thyme stems from the broth and discard.
17. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat; cooking until thickened. If you like your sauce thick, whisk in the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil.
18. Stir parsley into sauce. Seat with salt and pepper, to taste.
19. Slice pot roast, laying slices on a platter. Pour sauce over roast and serve.
20. If serving Roasted Root Vegetables with pot roast, arrange vegetables around the sliced pot roast on the platter.

Print Article

Email Article

View All Articles

How to subscribe to feeds