Classic Beef Pot Roast

Cuts of beef that perform well for pot roasting go by many different names: Blade roast, cross-rib roast (or shoulder clod), seven-bone pot roast, arm pot roast, and boneless chuck roast are all acceptable cuts for this traditional recipe.

Yield:

10 servings (serving size: 3 ounces roast, about 3/4 cup vegetables, and about 3 tablespoons cooking liquid)

Ingredients

1. 1 teaspoon olive oil
2. 1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed
3. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
4. 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5. 2 cups coarsely chopped onion
6. 1 cup dry red wine
7. 4 thyme sprigs
8. 3 garlic cloves, chopped
9. 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
10. 1 bay leaf
11. 4 large carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
12. 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
13. Fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chuck roast with salt and pepper. Add roast to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove roast from pan. Add onion to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender.
3. Return browned roast to pan. Add the red wine, thyme sprigs, chopped garlic, beef broth, and bay leaf to pan; bring to a simmer. Cover pan and bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours or until the roast is almost tender.
4. Add carrots and potatoes to pan. Cover and bake an additional 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf from pan; discard. Shred meat with 2 forks. Serve roast with vegetable mixture and cooking liquid. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desired.

Notes