Slow Braised Pot Roast
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A low and slow pot roast with beef browned in oil, coated in seasoned flour, nestled atop carrots, onions, and potatoes, simmered in beef broth with rosemary until fork-tender. Cooked slowly to coax out deep flavors, with caramelized veggies adding subtle sweetness and a savory broth soaking into everything. Lessons learned: don’t rush browning or skip flour coating which builds the gravy’s body, and watch your salt; broth can be salty. Perfect for hands-off cooking and forgiving if temperature wanders slightly. Visual doneness beats strict timing here.
Prep:
20 min
Cook:
Total:
Servings:
6 servings
#beef
#braising
#slow cooking
#comfort food
#American cuisine
#pot roast
You want pot roast like grandma’s but tired of dry edges and bland veggies? This method nails the crust, locks flavor with a seasoned flour coat, and layers the veggies so each one hits perfect tenderness without turning to mush. Low and slow at just under 300°F gives even doneness, avoids that middling raw center that haunts high temp roasts. Aromas fill the house — caramelized onions mingling with rosemary and beefy promise. The best part? You can walk away and trust the oven. Over the years I’ve picked up that brown first, layer veggies, and slow oven turns a good cut into unforgettable comfort food, minus fuss.
Ingredients
- 3 lb chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons rice flour
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 3 medium carrots, roughly chopped
- 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
- 3 cups low sodium beef broth
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
About the ingredients
Feel free to swap chuck roast for brisket or arm roast — same fat content, same forgiving qualities. If you only have all-purpose flour, toss in a pinch of cornstarch to keep it light; rice flour is just my preferred tweak to reduce clumps. Veggies? Carrots and onions mandatory but try parsnips or turnips if you want an earthier vibe. Potatoes? Yukon Golds soften beautifully without disintegrating, but reds work if you’re gentle. Beef broth low sodium keeps better control over salt; store-bought can be hit-or-miss. Rosemary sprigs can be swapped for thyme or bay leaf for a different aromatic profile. Oil can be grapeseed if you want neutral flavor. If dried herbs only, double the amount and toss them earlier in broth.
Method
- Oven at 295°F. Give it some time to fully heat. Lower by 5 degrees from typical 300 to avoid overcooking edge parts.
- Mix salt pepper and rice flour. Spread on parchment. Dredge meat thoroughly. Rice flour adds lightness over wheat, avoids clumpy crust.
- Heat oil in big heavy pot over med med-high. When shimmering, place roast. Don’t crowd. Brown hard on every side, 4-6 mins total. Should hear vigorous sizzle, dark crust forms.
- Take roast out. Let pot cool slightly. Add more oil if residue looks dry.
- Throw in onions and carrots. Stir often, wait for edges to caramelize around 3-5 mins. Not fully soft yet, just softened and starting golden. Smell sweet onion all up in kitchen.
- Layer potatoes on top of veggies. Stack roast on top of taters. This layering helps potato steam and soak broth flavors.
- Pour broth over meat. Nestle rosemary sprigs besides or on top. Don’t stir. Cover tightly with lid.
- Shove into oven rack, mid-level. Check after approx 3 hrs. Meat should pull apart with a fork, fibers separating with little pressure. If not ready, give extra 10-15 mins. Vegetables will be tender, smell rich and fragrant.
- Remove rosemary before serving unless you want woody chew.
- Rest roast 10 mins in pot off heat, juices redistribute, melt-in-mouth texture develops.
Cooking tips
Don’t rush browning the roast — that crust traps juices. If you crowd the pot, you’ll boil instead of brown. Flour not just for crust, it thickens cooking liquid into gravy naturally, so coat well; too little flour gives thin sauce. Onions and carrots waiting for soft edges and color show us we’re building a flavor base, not just bulk. Potatoes layered hatch a steam zone, avoid soggy on bottom or drying on top. Roast placement matters — settling it atop potatotes seals juices downwards; broth slopes flavor upward. Lid locks in moisture and aromatics, no peeking too often or heat escapes. Check readiness visually and tactility; knife test can be misleading with fibrous cuts. Let meat rest after oven, patience pays off with juicy slices and luscious texture.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Brown roast well. Hear that sizzle, crust must form. Skip crowding pot or meat steams. Flour coating not optional; adds texture and thickens juice into gravy. Rice flour better than all-purpose for less clumps. Salt and pepper mixed with flour before dredge keeps flavor even, avoids salt pockets.
- 💡 Veggies layering matters. Onions and carrots first, soften edges, start caramelizing but not mush. Potatoes stacked on top trap steam below, soak juice, avoid soggy bottom or dry top. Roast on top seals juice downwards, broth seeps up potato layers. No stirring after broth adds; lid locks moisture and aromatics. No peeking or heat escapes.
- 💡 Oven temps just under 300°F—295 specifically—better than 300. Slower heat means even cooking. Avoids dry edges and raw middle. Check after 3 hours by touch not timer only. Meat should pull apart easily, fibers separate with light fork pressure. If not, give extra time 10-15 mins. Visual and touch beats clock here.
- 💡 If broth reduces too much mid-cook, top up with hot water only never cold or you shock pot and stall heat. Thicker veggies add later in cooking to prevent mush. Garlic? Crush and toss in early with onions for added depth but optional. Rest meat off heat 10 mins to let juices redistribute before slicing. Skip rest ends up dry slices.
- 💡 Flour coating crust traps juices—don’t skim on it. If no rice flour, mix all-purpose with cornstarch pinch. Salt broth or rinse meat lightly if too salty store-bought broth. Swap chuck roast with brisket or arm roast fat content similar. Rosemary can be replaced with thyme or bay leaf depending on herb stash. Oil can be grapeseed or veg, hot smoking point helps browning.
Common questions
Why flour crust?
Flour helps form crust. Locks juices during browning. Also thickens broth into gravy. Rice flour less clumpy. Without it meat dries or broth too thin. Flour mixed with salt pepper before on meat.
Can I substitute veggies?
Sure. Carrots onions mandatory but try parsnips turnips for earthier notes. Yukon Gold potatoes best hold shape. Reds if gentle folding. Add denser veggies later else they overcook or vanish. Layering order counts for texture balance.
Meat not tender, what then?
Low temp long time key. If tough, keep cooking extra 10-15 mins in oven. Check fork test not timer alone. Also check if meat crowded pot or not browned well at first. Both cause steaming not crusting.
How to store leftovers?
Cool quickly. Store in airtight container refrig few days max. Freeze if long term. Reheat gently low heat with lid to keep moisture. Adding broth splash when reheating helps prevent drying out. Don’t reheat cold slices directly full blast.
