Sunday Dutch Oven Pot Roast

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the lower third.
   325°F
2. Pat the roast dry and

   season (how to season to taste)

   Season to taste Add salt (and pepper or acid) bit by bit, tasting as you go, until the food tastes fully of itself. 1. Season meat and vegetables before cooking, holding the salt high so it falls evenly.2. Taste the dish near the end with a clean spoon.3. If it tastes flat, add a pinch of salt, stir and taste again.4. If it tastes heavy or dull, a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar brightens it.5. Stop when another pinch wouldn't make it better. Done when: The flavors are clear and bright, not flat and not salty. Safety: Don't taste dishes that hold raw meat, poultry or eggs; season them by the recipe's amounts and adjust after cooking.How to season to taste: mistakes to avoid

   it all over with the salt and pepper.
3. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
4. Brown (how to brown)

   Brown Cook food in a hot pan until its surface turns brown, which adds rich, roasted flavor. 1. Pat the food dry; for ground meat, let the pan get hot first.2. Add a little oil and spread the food in one layer.3. Leave it alone for a few minutes so the bottom browns, then turn or break it up.4. Work in batches if it won't fit in one layer.5. Pour off extra fat if the recipe says to. Done when: Most surfaces are brown, not gray, and the bottom of the pan has browned bits (they are flavor, not burn). Safety: Hot oil spatters: dry the food first, lay it in the pan moving away from you, and keep a lid nearby. Never put water on an oil fire; slide the lid over it and turn off the heat. Browned outside doesn't mean cooked inside: ground beef needs 160°F, poultry 165°F.How to brown meat and vegetables: mistakes to avoid

   the roast well on the first side without moving it.
   ⏱ Brown side 1: 5 min
5. Turn the roast and brown the other side, then

   sear (how to sear)

   Sear Brown the outside of meat or fish fast in a very hot pan for a deep, flavorful crust. 1. Pat the meat dry with paper towels and salt it.2. Heat a heavy pan over medium-high to high heat until very hot, then add a thin layer of oil.3. Lay the meat in, away from you, and leave it alone.4. Turn it once it releases easily and is deep brown, then brown the other side.5. Sear in batches so the pieces don't touch. Done when: There is a deep brown crust and the meat lets go of the pan on its own. Searing doesn't cook it through; finish to a safe temperature. Safety: Hot oil spatters: dry the food first, lay it in the pan moving away from you, and keep a lid nearby. Never put water on an oil fire; slide the lid over it and turn off the heat. Turn on the fan; a hot pan smokes.How to sear meat and fish: mistakes to avoid

   the edges briefly. Move it to a plate.
   ⏱ Brown side 2: 5 min
6. Lower the heat to medium. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to brown.
   ⏱ Onions: 4 min
7. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook until the paste darkens a shade.
   ⏱ Tomato paste: 1 min
8. Pour in the wine and

   scrape up the browned bits (how to deglaze)

   Deglaze Pour liquid into a hot pan and scrape up the browned bits stuck to the bottom, which hold a lot of flavor. 1. After browning, pour off all but a spoonful of fat.2. With the pan still hot, pour in wine, broth or water; it will sizzle and steam.3. Scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon or flat spatula until the brown layer dissolves.4. Let it bubble down, as the recipe says, into the base of a sauce. Done when: The bottom of the pan is clean and the liquid has turned brown and tasty. Safety: Take the pan off the flame before pouring in wine or spirits, and turn your face away from the steam.How to deglaze a pan: mistakes to avoid

   from the bottom.

   Simmer (how to simmer)

   Simmer Cook liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles breaking the surface now and then. 1. Bring the liquid up over medium-high heat.2. As soon as bubbles rise steadily, turn the heat down.3. Adjust until only a few small bubbles break the surface every second or two.4. Stir now and then and check that it hasn't crept back to a boil. Done when: You see lazy, small bubbles, not a rolling boil. A "bare" simmer has just a bubble here and there. Safety: Steam burns fast: lift lids and foil away from your face, tipping the far edge up first.How to simmer: mistakes to avoid

   until

   reduced (how to reduce)

   Reduce Simmer a liquid uncovered so water steams off and the flavor and body get stronger. 1. Use a wide pan; more surface means faster reducing.2. Bring the liquid to a lively simmer, uncovered.3. Stir now and then and scrape the sides back in.4. Look at the level against the pan, or dip a spoon to check thickness.5. Salt at the end, since salt gets stronger as it reduces. Done when: The level has dropped by the amount the recipe says, and it is glossy and coats a spoon. How to reduce a sauce: mistakes to avoid

   by half.
   ⏱ Reduce wine: 3 min
9. Stir in the broth and Worcestershire, add the thyme and bay leaves, and nestle the roast back in with its juices.
10. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover the pot and move it to the oven.
11. Braise (how to braise)

    Braise Brown food, then cook it slowly, covered, partly submerged in liquid until it is very tender. 1. Brown the meat well in a heavy pot and set it aside.2. Soften the onions and vegetables in the same pot.3. Pour in the liquid and scrape up the browned bits.4. Return the meat; the liquid should come about halfway up it.5. Cover and cook at a bare simmer on the stove or in a 300 to 325°F oven for hours. Done when: A fork slides in and twists with no resistance, and the meat pulls apart. Safety: Steam burns fast: lift lids and foil away from your face, tipping the far edge up first.How to braise meat and vegetables: mistakes to avoid

    the roast.
    325°F⏱ Braise: 2 hr
12. Take the pot out and arrange the carrots and potatoes around the roast, pushing them into the liquid.
13. Cover again and braise until a fork slides into the beef with no resistance and the vegetables are tender. By then the beef is far past the safe 145°F (63°C).
    325°F⏱ Braise: 1 hr 15 min
14. Move the beef and vegetables to a platter and cover loosely with foil. Fish out the herb stems and bay leaves.
15. Spoon off the fat from the top of the liquid. Bring the liquid to a simmer on the stove over medium heat.
16. Stir the cornstarch and water together,

    whisk (how to whisk)

    Whisk Beat ingredients with a whisk to mix them smoothly or to add air. 1. Use a bowl big enough to whisk without splashing; set it on a damp towel to stop it spinning.2. Hold the whisk loosely and move it in quick circles or side to side, touching the bottom.3. For lumpy mixtures, add liquid a little at a time and whisk after each.4. For sauces on the stove, keep the whisk moving across the whole bottom of the pan. Done when: The mixture is even with no lumps or streaks of egg. How to whisk: mistakes to avoid

    it into the liquid and simmer until the gravy thickens.
    ⏱ Thicken gravy: 2 min
17. Pull the beef into large chunks, spoon the gravy over everything and sprinkle with parsley.

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Tips

• Braised beef is safe at 145°F, but chuck only turns tender once it goes much higher (around 200°F), so cook it by tenderness, not by the thermometer.
• If it's tough, it isn't done yet. Give it another 20 to 30 minutes and check again.
• Pot roast tastes even better the next day.
• Use a separate cutting board for raw meat, and wash hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water after handling it.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container within 2 hours, up to 4 days. Store the beef in its gravy. Freeze up to 3 months (potatoes get a little grainy).

Make ahead

Cook a day ahead, chill, lift off the hardened fat and reheat covered at 325°F for about 40 minutes.

Cook once, eat twice: Double it (12 servings instead of 6), eat half and freeze the other half. It keeps 3 months frozen, by the storage note above. Print a freezer label · More freezer meals

How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage. In season: carrots (September to March), potatoes (August to November).