Dutch Oven Pot Roast with Herbs

Pot roast in a serving dish with herbs and vegetables.

Dutch Oven Pot Roast with Herbs

A savory pot roast seasoned with fresh herbs and garlic. This old-time comfort food is easy to make and can be enjoyed any time of year. The fresh herbs really make this dish special. If you don't have fresh herbs, you can substitute dried herbs. Just use about one-third the amount of dried.

When you finish cooking the pot roast, save the braising liquid to make a savory gravy to accompany the roast.

4.95 from 19 votes

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 4

Total Time: 4 20

Servings: servings

Calories: 544kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

For the Pot Roast

One 3-pound chuck roast
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons cooking oil
2 large onions peeled and cut in bite-size pieces
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup red wine optional
3 cups beef broth
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 to 6 large carrots peeled and cut into chunks
4 to 6 Yukon Gold potatoes cut in half
4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh oregano
2 bay leaves

For the gravy:

2 cups of pan drippings
2 tablespoons soft butter
2 tablespoons flour

Instructions

For the Dutch Oven Pot Roast

Preheat the oven to 300° F.
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish or dinner plate. Add the beef to the flour and coat each side, including the edges.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Add the beef to the pot, searing and browning it on both sides and the edges (about 3 to 4 minutes per side). Transfer the beef to a plate.
Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir for 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant. Pour in the red wine and scrape the bits off the bottom of the pot.
Pour the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce into the Dutch oven then return the seared chuck roast. Add the potatoes, carrots, thyme, rosemary, oregano and bay leaves. (If you want firmer vegetables, add them during the last hour of the cooking time). Put the lid on the Pot and transfer it to the preheated oven and roast for 3 hours or until the meat shreds easily with a fork.
Transfer the meat and the vegetables to a serving plate and cover with foil to stay warm while making the gravy.

For the Gravy/ Sauce:

Discard the herbs and pour the braising liquid through a strainer. Measure out 2 cups of the braising liquid and return it to the Dutch oven or a small saucepan.
Combine the butter and flour in a small dish. Stir until it becomes a smooth paste.
Bring the braising liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove it from the heat and whisk in the butter-flour paste until completely melted. Return the pan to the heat and simmer briefly (stirring constantly), until thickened.
Transfer the gravy to a serving container and serve with the pot roast.

Notes

If you don’t have beef broth you can use 2 tablespoons beef paste such as Better Than Boullion mixed with 3 cups of water. You may need to cut back on the salt if you use bouillion.
You can replace the wine with additional beef broth.
Don’t slice the carrots and potatoes too small or they will get mushy and fall apart. You can even place the vegetables in the pot whole.
The vegetables get fairly soft and soak up some of the braising liquid as the pot roast cooks. If you like your potatoes and carrots firmer, do not place them in the pot until the last hour of the cooking time.
Peeling the potatoes is not necessary but make sure you scrub them well.
The butter-flour paste used in this recipe is known as beurre manié. It is an ideal last-minute thickener for sauces. If you want more gravy/ sauce, use the following formula: For each cup of liquid, mix 1 tablespoon each of soft butter and flour to a smooth paste with a spoon or rubber spatula.
For a thicker sauce/ gravy, increase the portions to 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 tablespoons of flour.
This beurre manié sauce is meant to be used immediately, do not boil the sauce, simmer briefly to cook the flour. Over-cooking or reheating will cause the sauce to break down and thin.
Other cuts of meat that work well besides chuck roast are bottom round, top round, and beef brisket.

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