How to Cook Pot Roast - Cooks Illustrated

Published March 1, 2002.

We cooked more than 100 pounds of beef to find the answer to tender, moist, flavorful pot roast. What's the secret? Cook it until it is done—and then keep on cooking.

The Problem

Inexpensive pot roast is tough by nature, and, if cooked improperly, it can be bland, desiccated, and sinewy. The meat is often tough and stringy and so dry that it must be drowned with the merciful sauce that accompanies the dish.

The Goal

A good pot roast by definition entails the transformation of a tough (read cheap), nearly unpalatable cut of meat into a tender, rich, flavorful main course by means of a slow, moist cooking process called braising. It should not be sliceable; rather, the tension of a stern gaze should be enough to break it a part.

The Solution

Brown the roast on all sides, then add onion, carrot, and celery along with some sugar to caramelize the vegetables and develop flavor. Braise the meat in a combination of chicken and beef broths and water until it reaches an internal temperature of 210 degrees, and then maintain that temperature for a full hour to produce an exceedingly tender roast. Finish the sauce with a small amount of red wine.

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Simple Pot Roast

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