Basic Beef Pot Roast

Dawn: I really enjoyed reviewing the course on combination cooking and braising. My niece did shopping for me and picked out a roast because is was on sale, its a top of the round roast about 4.5 lbs. How would you prepare this cut of meat? My Mom would have treated it as a pot roast and pour Knorr Onion Soup Mix on top of it and wrap it in foil and over cook it. After seeing your course however, I know it does not have enough fat and connective tissue to qualify as a pot roast per se. Should I cook it rare? I welcome your thoughts. And I believe those who know you ALREADY love you for your cooking and love of life...........(Italian Mama :) ) thanks for all you do............stay warm. Leah

Hi Leah... Dawn's not at Rouxbe Central today so I didn't want you to go without an answer. Top of Round is okay for pot roasting. It's not the best for the reasons you described. Without a lot of connective tissue and fat, the meat can tend to be a bit dry if served right after cooking. I'd suggest making this a day ahead and letting the meat reobsorb the liquid/juice from the sauce. One of other idea and something that we have also not yet covered in the cooking school, is marinating, but this is also an option for this cut. Here you could cut it up, marinate it over night and use dry heat cooking methods, like broil, pan fry, saute, etc. My recommendation is to try it the pot roasting or stew method and then buy a shoulder cut next time and compare for yourself. Low and slow is best.

Joe: Thanks sooo much for following up for Dawn. I love this about your team, you cover for each other and share your knowledge so generously. I'm really grateful. If this cut of meat were purchased in the future, and I cut it up in chunks to marinate it, and I then chose to saute it, my instinct tells me to cook it rare at that point. Is this the right conclusion? I'm just curious, because I want to master pot roast for sure, but to me marinating would be done with a more tender cut of meat, like sirloin steak or the less tender flank steak. Since the top of the round was what my mother used, it's what I grew up with. But I think it could much more flavorful if used with the shoulder or chuck that you teach about. You're just giving me another adventure to travel. I'll let you know how this turns out. Your suggestion to roast it and then cut it up, and let the roast re-absorb the liquids sounds about right. I'll do that later today. It's 2:45 a.m. here. The snow is falling, 15 inches is expected. A true North Easter.........be well. Always, Leah

Okay I am back, it was my mom's 81st birthday and I took her a bunch of meals that I had made...one of which happened to be a pot roast...and also a milk-braised pork. My mom also did pot roasts with top rounds, the result was always something really good...however if made with a beef chuck/shoulder the result is simply fantastic! Joe's suggestions are bang on with making it a day in advance. As for marinating, if you are using dry-heat you could cook it less. But keep in mind, marinating is not always done only for more tender cuts of meat. It is often used for tougher cuts to tenderize and add flavor. In fact, I often marinate the meat I am using in a stew. Here is another example of this. This dish uses lamb shoulder chops, and it's delicious! http://rouxbe.com/recipes/283/preview Good luck with the snow, sounds like you are cooking the perfect food for the weather! Hope this helps!

Dawn: Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts about pot roast. Your mother is so very blessed in having your support and delicious food preparations. Wow, I'm salivating already. I hear you loud and clear, chuck/shoulder from now on. I do have a frew shoulder lamb chops in the freezer so maybe that's my next lesson. Thanks so much for the link. The snow did come, not quite as deep as predicted, since I live on the coast near the water. Inland, they were inundated. Have a lovely evening. Thank you Dawn for all you do. Best wishes, Leah

HI everyone, Dawn's recommendation of a glass (or 2??) of red wine is spot on! As pot roasted beef is quite rich with robust flavours, a wine with the same character works very well. Wines from Southern Rhone (France) are amongst my favourites. These range from a village level Cotes du Rhone all the way up to a classic Chateauneuf-du-Pape if you really want to impress. Other appellations in southern Rhone worth looking for are Lirac, Gigondas, and Vacqueyras. Cheers!

Hola a todos, este espacio esta lindo y estoy disfrutando mis habilidades con las tecnicas que ustedes me dan. Hice panes por mucho tiempo, pero el viernes pasado hice con las tecnicas de la primera leccion y me salieron fantasticas, tanto que me han pedido para mañana y servire con pot roast para un grupo de 40 personas. Gracias por los consejos, en este momento tengo marinando 25 libras de chuck shoulder en red wine, onion y garlic y por su puesto con aji panca peruano. Mi pregunta, cuanto tiempo y a que temperatura necesito para optener una carne tierna y suculenta? Escribo en español porque se me hace dificil escribir el ingles, pero leo perfectamente. Gracias por la ayuda Ada

Parsnip are not found in my fridge. Could i sub some more carrots or turnips?

Indeed you can use whatever you like. If you haven't already done so, you may want to watch the lesson on Pot Roasting. Here you will find more info on this. Cheers!

A few questions (I am making a pot roast the coming Friday for friends): - I have a boneless rib roast (there seems to be some fat and connective tissue) ... would that work or oven roasting is better? - Is cooking the pot roast two days in advance less optimal than cooking it a day in advance? - If I season and sear the meat one day and then pot roast it the next, might that effect optimal flavor?

Omar: I would not use an expensive rib roast for a pot roast preparation. Rib roasts are a more tender cut of meat and should be roasted to your preference, rare, medium rare, etc. Review the courses on combination cooking and braising mentioned above. Its very helpful and beautifully produced. If you don't want to roast the beef, cut it into steaks, eitiher is delicious and your guests would love it too. Let us know what you decide to do. Have a great week. Leah Eselgroth

A quality rib roast is usually cooked using a dry heat cooking method, such as roasting. It is already a tender cut of meat and will not benefit much from pot roasting. Cheaper cuts are often reserved for pot roasting because they are tougher and need the slow cooking time to break down the tissue. I'm not sure of the advantage of searing the meat ahead of time, as it doesn't take very long to get the pot roast started. Doing it all at the same time will also save on clean up time. If you choose to sear beforehand, for food safety reasons you need to make sure it is properly cooled and stored in the refrigerator. This is another reason why we recommend searing the day of. You can cook the pot roast a couple of days in advance and it will be fine. Cheers!

Thank you this helps a lot. I just realized that the roast has a some fat on the outside, but there is no marbling in the middle. In that case would pot roasting help or would you suggest dry roasting it (with a brine or marinade). One last thing: is there benefit in putting a strip of beef fat on top of the roast ?

Hard to say Omar...this may just be one of these cases where you try it and see. Remember that cooking is about experimenting and seeing what works for you. As far as brining goes, I wouldn't necessarily do this for beef. Marinating is mostly done for flavor so not sure that this would be of much benefit. Basically it all comes down to the meat. The better the meat the better the end result. Next time watch the lesson on Combination Cooking and try and buy a roast that follows the guidelines in the lesson. As for the strips of fat around the roast, this can help if you are roasting the meat. Good luck!

I have two pieces: I will try both methods and get back to you! thank you

I tried this for the first time this week and really enjoyed it. One thing I noticed was that it seemed that my potatoes were cooked well before the carrots and parsnips were done. I think that the next time I make a similar preparation that I'll throw in the harder vegetables earlier in the cooking process.

Glad that you enjoyed the pot roast! No problem in putting harder vegetables in sooner. Just a tip - sometimes it can just be the vegetable itself. Older vegetables often take longer to cook. Also, different varieties of potatoes can also cook at different rates. Cheers!

Would altitude affect my cooking time or require a different cooking temp? I'm at 3740 ft above sea level.

Just make sure the dish comes to a simmer. The time is hard to estimate. You'll need to cook it long enough to become fork tender when using any combination cooking method. There are other discussions in our forum on cooking at higher altitudes you might want to check out. Cheers!

I am amazed at the short time I have learned so much from a few lessons. cooking 'all my life' duh, is nothing when you have never learned such things as 'how to make a roux' we just called it gravy! YIPES or mirepoix... Grandma would just I am addin' the veggies! OMGSH!... I am so excited to cook with a pupose and a reward. I have had broccoli like twice a day for the last week becasue I can cook it aldente' and my family love it... I grow the stuff and eat what we grow! but I never new it could taste so good 'cooked'!... yes you have changed my life!... not really , but my cooking life... I am loving the flavor of the simple things.. I could never enjoy becasue I cooked the 'life' out of it... I hope I can continue the for ever!.... do you have scholarships for old folks?... LOL....

hmm I wonder what I'm doing wrong. I've followed the recipe pretty well to the letter but meat is tough. I chose a bottom blade pot roast and still after 6 hours (I checked at least every hour, turning the roast each time), the meat is not tender and the veggies are still hard after 2 hours. I have a temperature guage in the oven and I've kept it at 200F (and not 200C!). The temperature of the liquid is around 190F (I checked with my meat thermometer). My meat was frozen and I unthawed it in the microwave on very low before starting recipe. Plus I put the cover on the dutch oven - should it be on or off? Beef stock was up to 3/4 instead of 1/2. Would any of these actions cause this?

I know this sounds crazy but EVERY time I used the MICRO to thaw anything out it changed the 'dish' in meats that is.... it DOES cook it even though it is thawing it out and for some reason... Micro seems to take out or kill the 'stuff' that causes it to draw the moisture? maybee. just a guess...

@Sandy: I bet that your oven thermostat is not accurate. I used to wonder why things in my oven didn't come out the way they were supposed to (roasted carrots, veg for stock, VERY frustrated by how roasted chicken simply would not cook right for me). I always followed the recipe, set the temp correctly, and I was always frustrated that I could just not get the caramelization on the ingredients that I was supposed to get. Then someone on this board suggested I get an oven thermometer. What I found is that my oven thermostat can be off by as much as 75 degrees! I'd set the dial to 475, and the thermometer would not come up over 400. So now I go by what the thermometer says when using the oven. When I need it to be 400, I have to set it to 475-480. When I need 200 I have to set it to 250 sometimes even 300. Search amazon for 'oven thermometer', you'll want one with the little hook at the top so you can hang it from one of the racks.

There could be many factors that contributed to toughness of the roast, including the oven temperature as suggested by Daniel R. Perhaps your roast did not have enough marbling or connective tissue, the microwave could have definitely adversely affected the texture of the meat and a lid needs to be used for this cooking method. The lessons in the cooking school on Combination Cooking Fundamentals and Pot Roasting go through the pot-roasting process in great detail. Let us know if you have any questions after reviewing these lessons. Cheers!

What a difference a day makes. I kept with the recipe and let it set overnight in the refrigerator, took out the meat and veggies, made the sauce, and placed the dish back in the oven at 200F all afternoon. I have to admit it came out very nice. My goodness. I never knew I could do that with beef. Thanks to all who responded - your input was appreciated.

Is there a section on measurement translations! I heard an American cup is different from European? When you say 1 cup of liquid how much is that in MLs? my cup says 250 ml but when I weigh it on scales it's less(about 180).

Volume and weight measurements are often not the same. An extreme example would be: 1 cup of rocks do not weigh the same as 1 cup of feathers - even though they are both 1 cup. Volume and weight aren't equal in this case. It is also true that there are different standards for "cups" depending on where you live. We do not have a conversion tool on Rouxbe as of yet, but there are plenty of other resources online that you can refer to. There have been several discussions on this in the forum. Check out: conversion tools and calculator. Also, the great thing about learning the skills and techniques behind making a great pot roast is that you do not need to know exact measurements, you merely need to know what to look for. If you haven't already, be sure to check out the cooking school lesson on "How to Pot Roast" and also the lesson on "Combination Cooking Fundamentals". Cheers!

I'm planning on cooking this pot roast recipe the day before Fathers Day and serving it to my partner and his daughter on Sunday. I think they will love it. I'll report back.

I made this pot roast last night and I'm so proud to say that it was the first time I've made a roast that was tender. Thanks so much for the good instruction! My husband said it was the best he's had! Unfortunately, we left it out all night (unrefrigerated). My husband searched online and found a recommendation to cook it for awhile longer to kill any bacteria. I was thinking that we should throw it away. What's your opinion? (If it helps, I finished it at 6:30pm and it's now 6:30am).

First, congrats on making a great pot roast. Sorry about the accident. Glad to hear you enjoy ROUXBE. I've been here for two years and continue to enjoy the entire course. Now for the bad news, please dispose of the roast. The latest word from Serv-Safe is that bacteria grows wild between 41 and 141 degree F. As a consulation, I've had the same accident, and I am sure there are more than two of us! Best regards from North Carolina.Terry

I don't understand this unreasonable fear of bacteria. My grandma used to leave pot roast on the stove overnight all the time (and soup, and other food), and nobody in my family ever died of bacteria poisoning. Michael Ruhlman has a few interesting things to say: http://ruhlman.com/2011/08/stock-clarifications/ Follow the links for a variety of different opinions. Personally I would have no problem heating it back up and let it simmer for a while. In fact, pot roast is often even better the day after.

I'm not saying you should be careless with food, it's of course better to cool and refrigerate, and I do, and my grandma would have too had she known about bacteria :). I'm just saying that if I were to realize in the morning that I forgot to put last night's pot roast in the fridge, I might simmer it for longer than I would just to reheat it, but I would certainly not throw it away.

Thanks, Terry and Daniel! My husband has decided that he's still going to eat it after cooking it again (he's eaten some really questionable things over the years) but I think me and our toddler will skip it. We'll see what happens to him first. : )

Years ago, I was given this advice. "when in doubt, throw it out". I have to say, that this is the motto that I personally go with. Getting sick (potentially very sick) is not worth it to me, even though it can be hard to do throw food away as you feel as though you are wasting etc. The links that Daniela posted are also very interesting as well. Thanks for posting those and thanks to all of you that commented as well. Nice to see you all looking out for each other :-) Cheers!

I grew up with a doctor in the family and unless it was in the summer when temperatures kept the house really warm we never worried if we left the food out then reheated. My mom would make stuffed cabbage in a large roaster and there would never have been enough refrigerator space to store it so it was always left out. A family of 9 and no one ever got sick. I'm no expert, but we waste far too much food in this country and it's about time we learn we aren't as fragile as the media wants to make us think. Try it, you'll like it.

Sandy, you and many others have been very lucky. Having been a professional chef for many years, one certified in food safety, there is a reason why we all have refrigerators. Rouxbe'ites. You have been warned. If you leave something like meat, fish, etc, out overnight and then decide to eat it, cross your fingers. People have become very sick from this, some have even died. It's extremely rare, but it happens. It's also the reason that every food service employee has to go through food safety training. We hope to do a lesson or two on this in the future and then you may think twice before you reach for the un-refridgerated delight. This has nothing to do with wasting food. Food banks and shelters will also throw out food that could have become contaminated. Thanks for sharing though! :-)

Ice bath/cooling big meat dishes or stock quickly question: We have been experimenting with making stocks and are surprised how long it takes a big pot of stock (or pot roast?) to cool in a sink full of ice cubes and water. We have been using a thermopen. If we are not to stir the stock so as to keep the fat from emulsifying into it, how do we quickly lower the temp to a safe level before refrigerating it? I'm going to make this pot roast on Monday and would like to know the best way to chill it prior to refrigerating it so I can let the fat solidify on top overnight.

As food professionals, and as a culinary institute teaching food professionals, you have no choice but to say that overnight stovetop storage of any food is a no-no. You have to have an airtight system where all food is always treated the same way, for very good reason. I have gotten food poisoning a number of times from eating out, even at pretty good restaurants. Apparently, even though common sense food safety is supposed to reign in such environments, rules are broken all over. You only have to watch an episode of Kitchen Nightmares to realize how bad things can get. I'm not a food pro, and no expert by any means, but my guess is that the bigger problem is not so much the one meal that gets left out, but systematically not cleaning the kitchen properly, or not washing tasting spoons, or not sanitizing cutting boards, or not separating raw from cooked meats, things like that. I'm not trying to advocate against food safety, but I do think that this fear of bacteria is sometimes a bit unreasonable. In my entire life I have never gotten sick from food at home, where we regularly leave food out for "too long" in an otherwise clean kitchen.

By the way, I would be very interested in lessons about food safety, and learn how to do those things properly, I do think that is very important.

Meat close to 4 lbs. Cooked at 225 then at 250 c for more than 5 hrs. Still pink on the outside cuts and tough! Tried this recipe twice with far less than great results so ,,,, won't be trying it again until I understand what is going on. I did see the braising & pot roast lessons as well.

My first guess is that you may want to invest in an oven thermometer to test the internal temperature of your oven. The meat should not still be pink/look raw on the outside after this much time. Ovens can be off by as much as 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This may be the culprit and your oven setting may be just far too low. You can also cook the roast at a higher temperature. It is really up to you and the time that you have. Just make sure you are choosing a good cut of meat with plenty of connective tissue/fat as shown in the Combination Cooking Fundamentals lesson. Keep us posted. Would be curious to know the true temperature of your oven. Cheers!

Hi Kimberley - It was my guess too that the oven temp was off the first time but this last time I did use a thermometer and the oven temp was accurate. So that's not it. Both roasts were Bottom Blade roasts with what I thought was enough marbling etc.but now I think it's gotta be the cut of beef that is responsible for these results. What do you think? Everything else I did was exactly the way it was supposed to be done.

Come to think of it, I'm not sure why the outside of the meat would be pink (in regards to your first comment). Are you not searing the roast prior to braising it to add more flavor? The toughness could potentially be the cut you are using...and some roasts are just better than others. I would experiment with the shoulder cut and also try a different butcher. That can often make a big difference. Also, remember that cooking meats at a lower temperature can take quite a while depending on the size etc. so be sure to check for doneness by making sure it is fork tender. Hope that helps. Cheers!

Yes - I seared all sides with both attempts. I tried the "fork tender" check too and it failed miserably after 5 hrs. I knew it would be pink before I cut into it. I will try again using a shoulder cut next time as its gotta be the cut I used. thx for the help!

Keep in mind Terry that you may also have just needed to cook it longer. I have cooked meats for 5 hrs before and they were no were near done at that point. Sometimes certain cuts and pieces just need more time. Just a couple of weeks ago, I cooked a pork shoulder for 10 hours at 200˚F. Whatever you do, don't give up! :-) Cheers!

Thanks Dawn - I think this was one of those 10 hr ones! Good to know for next time ( too late for this time :(

Would brisket work in this recipe? Not a corned beef brisket, just a brisket joint? I cured my own brisket a while ago and after cooking it didn't slice well, but fell apart. May have cooked too long.

Indeed, as per the lessons on "Combination Cooking Fundamentals" and "Pot Roasting" many different cuts, such as brisket, could be cooked in this manner. Cheers!

Would it be okay if I left the pot roast to cool in the refrigerator for two days or would it not work?

If by "cool in the refrigerator" you mean, is it okay to leave the pot roast for two days, once it has been cooled properly, then yes you can. That's the one of the great things about braising, you can do it well in advance and it better than the day it was made. Hope that helps. Cheers!

Is it ok if the dutch oven is cast iron?

Most people feel that cooking in cast iron is perfectly safe. Just note that if one is braising in cast iron, especially with acidic ingredients like tomato or wine, this could potentially damage the seasoning slightly. This will depend on the amount of seasoning the pan has and of course how acidic the dish was. In extreme cases, you may have to reseason the pan; more likely, you'll just have to treat it to a light coating of oil. Hope that helps. Cheers!

My pot roast came out great, but the gravy was tasteless. No sure what I did wrong. I may have used to much liquid, I used beef broth, or maybe I didn't brown the meat enough before hand. These are just guesses, do you have any suggestions?

Sounds like you are on the right track Marilyn. It could have been an, or a combination of, any of those factors. A good sear will add a lot of flavor. Too much liquid will definitely dilute the final sauce. A bland beef broth could also affect the final sauce. If the sauce was bland, there are ways to tweak it. You could have reduced it to concentrate the flavors, you could have added more seasoning or you could have added a touch of Dijon mustard. Out of curiosity, did you watch the lesson on Pot Roasting? There is a topic on finishing a pot roast that you might find helpful? You may even want to check out the other lessons on combination cooking (Braising, Stewing and even Combination Cooking Fundamentals). There you will find many more tips on making and finishing these types of dishes. Hope that helps. Cheers!

This was my second attempt at preparing a pot roast in my life and results using this recipe were amazing. I used an almost 4 lb beef shoulder roast, with decent marbling (purely by accident as I hadn't watched the video on meat selection prior to buying--I definitely know what to look for in the future). I cooked it at 200 C for 9 hours using 6 qt enameled cast iron dutch oven. Thank you very much for the lesson and the recipe. I will be making this again.

Love this recipe and I am dying to make this for guests with a gluten sensitivity. Is there a good substitute for flour to make a roux or is there any other method to thicken the sauce without using flour?

You could use a gluten-free flour mix, such as this one here, or you could use something like potato starch. Here is another thread about this same subject that you might sound helpful. Cheers!

We just ate the most fabulous pot roast! I am glad I read comments first about 'Frustrating Results'. Great advice on having patience! My roast took over 12 hours to become fork tender! It was definitely worth the wait! Thanks!

Hi everyone. I'm travelling to my Mom's tomorrow and she has asked if I could make her this pot roast again. I don't have any homemade stock to take with me and I know she won't have any on hand. Since I've started making my own stock, I'm not a big fan of the stocks. The recipe calls for stock or any flavourful liquid. Any suggestions on what I could substitute for stock?

It really depends on what flavors you are going for (you could use red wine, beer, stock, cream); however. If you are looking for a simple pot roast, then I would say to buy yourself a flavorful stock or bouillon — because it sounds like you can't use homemade. There are some brands out there that are not too bad. Just watch out for the amount of sodium etc. The meat itself will also add flavor, so between the two, you should be okay. Hope that helps. Cheers!

Thanks Dawn. I think simple is best but I like the idea of a combination of beer and store bought stock. I'll be in BC. Are there any brands of commercial stock that you could recommend?

In a pinch, I have used "Better Than Bouillon" and I have to say that the flavor has been pretty good. It has way more ingredients in it then I generally want in my stock (sugar etc.) but it's still a decent store-bought bouillon. You will likely need to go to a WF's or that type of market to find it though. Although sometime smaller grocers seems to carry it as well sometimes, so who knows. Hope that helps. Good luck Debbie!

Helloo! Does it make a difference if I use white stock?

It may make a small difference, but it's not a deal breaker, Lucia. White stock usually results in a slightly lighter color and flavor intensity. Either way, you will enjoy a delicious dish.

Do we use a lid when cooking this in the oven the initial day? 2-3 hours. The instructions do NOT say to do that, yet Kimberly stated it needs to be used. Please let me know as I am making this now.

Hi Mika, I hope things went well in your process. I recommend using a lid or foil, but it is not required. If not using a lid, you just need to be more attentive to the evaporation of liquid, and perhaps add a tad bit of water if it is getting too low. Cheers, Sandy

It seems that 200 is lower than any other temperature reference I can find. They are typically 275-325 with some questioning whether 200 is high enough to be food safe. Is there much of a difference in quality between 200 and 275?

Hi Richard, What you will find on most sites is worries about food safety. But we have taken it to extremes in some cases. The point of pot roast is that this is a tough cut of meat that benefits from low and slow cooking. You can go 220-270 but I wouldn't go much higher. The US FDA recommends cooking roasts to an internal temperature of 145 °F (62.8 °C) and you'll get there with an oven temperature of 200. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/safe-temperature-chart Cooking meat at low temperatures for extended periods can increase the risk of bacterial growth, particularly if the meat spends a significant amount of time in the "danger zone" (40°F - 140°F or 4°C - 60°C), where bacteria multiply rapidly. It's essential to ensure that the internal temperature of the roast reaches a safe level to any harmful bacteria. The USDA recommends cooking beef roasts to an internal temperature of at least 145°F (63°C) for medium-rare or 160°F (71°C) for medium. Cooking at such a low temperature will significantly extend the cooking time compared to cooking at higher temperatures. While slow cooking can result in tender and flavorful meat, it's crucial to plan for the extra time required. Cooking a pot roast at 200°F might take several hours, potentially even half a day, depending on the size and thickness of the roast. Cheers, Chef Randall