This time of year, there’s nothing better to come home to than the savory magic of beef slowly braising in the oven, warming the kitchen and permeating the whole house with the incredible aroma of comfort food…Thank You Pot Roast! It’s place in history is as American as apple pie with its origin in New England, hence its often used name, “Yankee Pot Roast”. Though American, its cooking technique is based off of European braising . The New England Yankees learned they could take less costly and less desirable cuts of beef and turn them into super tender melt in your mouth meals. And the legend continues… We kick it up a bit with some beer and a little horseradish, both ingredients I am sure the Yankees would have approved of! Enjoy!
Pat the meat dry and sprinkle with salt, pepper and a dusting of flour.
Add everything to the Dutch oven.
Spread horseradish mixture on top of the beef before placing in the oven.
- One 3 to 5-pound chuck roast
- Flour (to dust the roast with)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled and sliced into thick strips
- 5-7 carrots, cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces (unpeeled)
- 1 packet Onion Soup Mix (I use Lipton, you can find it where the dry soup packets are)
- 2 medium bodied beers
- 1 can beef consommé
- 6 to 8 red or yellow potatoes (I leave them whole and smash them in the serving bowl to sop up the liquid from the pot roast)
- 2-3 tablespoons cream of horseradish
- salt and pepper
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- Salt, pepper and dust the chuck roast generously with flour. (see above pics)
- Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven on medium heat.
- Add the onions and cook until they begin to brown.
- Add carrots to the pot stirring occasionally about a minute. Remove the onions and carrots to a plate.
- Add more olive oil to the hot pot if needed. Place the meat into the pot and sear on both sides until browned.
- Remove the roast to a plate.
- Deglaze the pot with the beef consommé, scraping the browned bits from the bottom. Turn off stove.
- Return the meat and any juices to the pot and add the two beers making sure to cover the meat half to three quarters of the way. If not quite there, add a small amount of water.
- Add in the Onion Soup Mix and stir to combine.
- Add onions and carrots back to the pot along with the whole potatoes, placing them around the outside of the roast.
- Mix the cream of horseradish with ¼ teaspoon salt and spread over the top of the meat.
- Put the lid on and place in the oven.
- Cook for 4 hours or until meat easily pulls apart.
- Remove potatoes to bowls. Smash them with a fork to flatten. Add a small pat of butter, salt and pepper to each potato before piling on meat, carrots and onions.
- Drizzle the sauce over the entire dish allowing the potatoes to soak up the flavorful sauce.
- Enjoy!
