Pot Roast

Growing up we made this all the time in winter – it’s cheap, filling, and the whole house smells amazing while it cooks. This version uses wine to deglaze which adds a ton of flavor to the gravy.

June Arthurs
March 14, 2026
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Ingredients (~8 servings)

  • 4 lbs beef chuck roast or top round roast
  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 3 ribs celery, diced
  • 4 large carrots, peeled (2 for braising, 2 for final cooking)
  • 1 large yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 3 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
  • 6 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed
  • 2 cups red wine
  • 5 cups beef stock
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 medium red potatoes, halved
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into 2-inch pieces

Season and Sear the Roast

Preheat your oven to 325F.

Season the 4 lbs chuck roast all over with the 1 Tbsp kosher salt and 1 1/2 tsp black pepper; really work it into the meat.

Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat and add the 2 tsp olive oil. Once the oil shimmers, add the seasoned roast and sear for ~4-5 minutes per side until deeply browned.

The goal is to get a good crust – this adds flavor to the final gravy.

Remove the roast from the pot and set aside on a plate.

Build the Braising Base

Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the diced celery, chopped yellow onion, and 2 of the carrots (peeled and roughly chopped) to the same pot.

Cook for ~4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften.

Add the 6 smashed garlic cloves, 3 Tbsp tomato paste, thyme leaves, rosemary leaves, and 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce; stir everything together for ~1 minute until fragrant.

The tomato paste should darken slightly – this concentrates the flavor.

Deglaze and Add Liquid

Pour in the 2 cups red wine and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.

Let the wine simmer for ~2-3 minutes to cook off some of the alcohol, then add the 5 cups beef stock and give it a good stir.

Nestle the seared roast back into the pot – the liquid should come about 2/3 of the way up the sides of the meat.

Braise in the Oven

Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the preheated 325F oven.

Cook for ~3 to 3 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork-tender and shreds easily.

You’ll know it’s done when a fork slides in and out with almost no resistance – like going through soft butter.

Strain and Thicken the Gravy

Remove the roast from the pot and set it aside on a cutting board.

Strain the braising liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids.

To thicken the gravy, whisk the 1 Tbsp cornstarch with ~3 Tbsp of the warm strained liquid in a small bowl until smooth.

Pour this slurry back into the pot along with the rest of the strained braising liquid.

Finish with Vegetables

Add the roast back to the pot along with the 3 halved red potatoes and the remaining 2 chopped carrots.

Bring to a simmer on the stovetop over medium-low heat, then cover and cook for ~20-30 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are fork-tender.

The gravy should be nicely thickened by now – if it’s too thin, simmer uncovered for a few more minutes.

Slice or shred the roast and serve with the vegetables and plenty of that rich gravy.

Pot Roast

Growing up we made this all the time in winter – it’s cheap, filling, and the whole house smells amazing while it cooks. This version uses wine to deglaze which adds a ton of flavor to the gravy.
prep time20 minutes
cook time3 hours 50 minutes
total time4 hours 10 minutes
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Ingredients (~8 servings)

  • 4 lbs beef chuck roast or top round roast
  • 1 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 3 ribs celery, diced
  • 4 large carrots, 2 for braising, 2 for final cooking, peeled
  • 1 large yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 3 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
  • 6 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed
  • 2 cups red wine
  • 5 cups beef stock
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 medium red potatoes, halved
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into 2-inch pieces

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325F.
  • Season roast all over with salt and pepper.
  • Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
  • Sear roast 4-5 minutes per side until deeply browned.
  • Remove roast and set aside.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and add celery, onion, and 2 carrots to the pot.
  • Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften.
  • Add garlic, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary, and Worcestershire sauce.
  • Stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
  • Pour in red wine and scrape up browned bits from the bottom.
  • Simmer 2-3 minutes, then add beef stock.
  • Nestle roast back into pot so liquid comes 2/3 up the sides.
  • Cover and transfer to oven.
  • Braise 3 to 3 1/2 hours until meat is fork-tender.
  • Remove roast and set aside.
  • Strain braising liquid through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing solids; discard solids.
  • Whisk cornstarch with 3 Tbsp warm liquid until smooth.
  • Pour cornstarch mixture back into pot with remaining liquid.
  • Add roast, potatoes, and remaining 2 carrots to pot.
  • Bring to simmer over medium-low heat, cover, and cook 20-30 minutes until potatoes and carrots are tender.
  • If gravy is too thin, simmer uncovered a few more minutes.
  • Slice or shred roast and serve with vegetables and gravy.