22/07/2024

Perfect Pot Roasting

As old fashioned as it sounds, a pot roast is one of the best one-pot wonders you can cook in the winter months to fill the house with its warming aroma and fill your soul with comfort. 

Unlike a casserole that starts with cubed or jointed pieces of meat or chicken, the pot roast is about slowly cooking the whole piece, and allowing time to do the work for you.

Here are my tips for perfect pot roasting:

The Pot
It all begins with the pot you use. I favour a heavy based French oven (Le Creuset pot) which is an enamelled cast iron pot or a Dutch oven which is  just cast iron. You can, of course, use a slow cooker but I find I use the program on my oven to time and turn off the cooking as needed. Stainless steel pots don’t conduct the heat as well for even brown and you may find they scorch in spots. 

The Cut
The good news is, the cheap braising cuts like beef bolar blade, chuck and brisket are best for pot roast. These large joints of meat are often from the hard working part of the animal and they have well developed connective tissue which, when slow cooked, melt into a slippery textured gelatin that adds an unctous quality and great flavour to the braise. If choosing pork, I use pork neck which cooks quicker to the much loved pulled pork consistency. For chicken, you can pot roast a whole bird as the French do, they call it ‘poulet-au-pot’ (chicken-in-a-pot). 

The Browning

The first, most important step, is the browning of the meat on all sides, to develop colour and flavour. Salt it well first and then brown in a few tablespoons of olive oil, with a little butter for flavour if you like. Take your time to achieve good browning, and this caramelisation will be the building block of your braise. Browning onions around the meat at this time is also a good idea.

The Braising
Next add your liquid of choice, and this is where you can create interesting flavours. Stock, wine, beer and/or tomato passata combined with aromatics like bay leaf, herbs, garlic and peppercorns will keep the meat juicy during the long cooking process and infuse it with layers of flavour. If you are adding vegetables, keep them chunky so they too will withstand the long cooking time or add them much later in the process so they retain shape and bite.

Slow long cooking requires patience but once the braise is assembled and brought to a simmer on the stove, you can transfer it to the oven at a low temperature (150°C) and cover it to slow cook for between 2-4 hours, depending on the meat. Once it’s in, you can relax!

The Finishing
When the meat is tender, remove it and wrap it in foil to rest while you reduce the liquid on the stovetop and finish with a knob of butter, a flurry of herbs or a handful of spinach or peas for freshness.

If it needs further thickening, I prefer to do so with a beurre manie – that magic French blend of flour and butter that will thicken a liquidy sauce instantly and is much more delicious than using pasty cornflour. 

The Accompaniment
Pot roasts are traditionally served with a good buttery mash or rice, but these days, it doesn’t have to be so heavy. A slice of crusty bread or toast, or quick cooking soft polenta or couscous are lighter options for mopping up the sauce, and a bowl of greens on the side gives a burst of freshness to what is a very rich dish.

The Serving
There is nothing nicer than bringing the pot roast to the table in the pot and sharing it around, but don’t forget to nap some sauce over the meat just before serving and add a sprinkle of pepper or herbs as a final flourish.

The Recipes
Here are some of my favourite pot roast recipes – feel free to change up the flavours to suit your style! 

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Dylan Colaci
Dylan Colaci
08:34 23 May 24
Naomi’s cooking class was inclusive and lots of fun. Brought everyone together and the food and wine were all amazing. Thanks Naomi!
Matt Torcasio
Matt Torcasio
07:41 23 May 24
Amazing experience with Naomi. We are had such a great cooking class and cooking experience. Everybody loved it lots of laughs, lots of drinks and lots of fun.
Mia Hara
Mia Hara
07:35 23 May 24
A group of six of us attended Naomi‘s in person cooking class. We had the opportunity to choose the menu and theme prior to the experience. Each of us were involved the whole time. Throughout the session we had a chance to learn tips and tricks in the kitchen and she made us feel comfortable to ask questions. Naomi was professional, insightful and so much fun to learn from! Will definitely be booking in again!! THANKYOU Naomi!
Melissa Matheson
Melissa Matheson
20:44 14 Sep 22
We organised a virtual cook-a-long for our team with Naomi which was absolutely fantastic. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the session, Naomi is very engaging and has an absolute zest for inspiring others to find their finesse is the kitchen.
Cate Tibbertsma
Cate Tibbertsma
14:07 10 Sep 21
I enjoy Naomi's online cooking classes immensely. The classes are well-organised with all relevant information sent in advance so that the cook-along runs smoothly. Naomi is an engaging teacher and generously shares her knowledge and skill with the class; her recipes are easy to master and . many of them have become family favourites in my home.
Lisa Anderson
Lisa Anderson
02:23 06 Sep 21
I was fortunate enough to enjoy a few hours cooking with Naomi and some friends (virtually) last Sunday. What a delightful way to spend a few hours pulling together a delicious meal. Naomi made the whole experience so easy from booking, organising ingredients right through to putting the meal on the table. I loved hearing about her experiences of both the food we were cooking (Moroccan chicken) but also the places she had been. Oh and my family- being the beneficiary of a new take on Sunday night dinner were happy too. I would highly recommend this experience.
Sharon Thomson
Sharon Thomson
03:34 05 Sep 21
Naomi’s Cook-Along sessions are always fun and extremely informative. Ask Naomi anything about ingredients, food and wine and she will impart a world of wisdom. Not to mention the dish made in just an hour - so delicious and such a breeze online in the session. Thanks Naomi 😊
Carol Benson
Carol Benson
04:44 17 Aug 21
Naomi’s cooking classes are such fun plus they are improving my cooking skills. All the meals I have prepared with the classes are so flavoursome and have appealed to all the family (including a fussy teenager). All are on my ‘will make again’ list. I particularly like the extra little tips we get from Naomi – these tips are what helps a good cook become a great cook. Thanks Naomi
Jan Matheson
Jan Matheson
04:05 17 Aug 21
I've completed several of Naomi's Cookalong sessions and always learn new tips. The sessions are fun and we accomplish a delicious meal in 1 1/2 hours. Looking forward to more sessions.
Lorraine Aspinall
Lorraine Aspinall
09:13 13 Aug 21
“A good cook is like a sorceress who dispenses happiness.” Naomi brings joy to the art of cooking and sharing her wealth of knowledge and experience. Looking forward to joining more cook along sessions. Thank you Naomi!
Andrea Wood
Andrea Wood
00:04 12 Aug 21
Hats off to Naomi, she has absolutely mastered the presentation of her easy and delicious recipes in her classes on zoom.This was our first zoom class and we were really impressed. Naomi gave an immersive experience, enthusiastically sharing her knowledge and tips along the way and at the end of the class, we had a finished impressive meal, ready to sit down and enjoy.Naomi’s classes are a fab way to prepare your evening meal in a social environment and all while increasing your confidence and prowess in the kitchen. Now that’s an absolute win in our book.Thank you Naomi. You’ll be seeing us again in your Zoom kitchen. :)
River P
River P
11:45 27 Oct 20
Who would have thought Thursday nights would become a highlight of the week! These cooking classes are great fun and set an easy pace. You start at 6pm, relax with a wine with a great group while things bubble away, and you'll have a fab dinner on the table by 7pm - and it really will look amazing as Naomi also shows how to present things beautifully. I thought I'd have to do a lot of prep before the classes as I'm a slow cook, but it's not the case. You really do cook along easily in the hour and can ask for tips and questions all along the way. I've loved learning everything from restaurant style duck to Persian rice pilaf. I also highly recommend the leisurely Sunday slow cooks - you'll have a beautiful Sunday lunch and pro tips for leftovers. Think slow roast Greek lamb, then souvlaki with the leftovers and you know you'll be happy!
Luke Todd
Luke Todd
02:28 26 Oct 20
Naomi's online cooking classes are so fun and the food is delicious. Can't recommend highly enough. Book yourself in for a class, you'll be glad you did!
Sharon Tein
Sharon Tein
02:51 11 Sep 20
Great fun classes full of tasty food and all within an hour! Try it. You won’t be disappointed.
Loredana De Simone-Rybka
Loredana De Simone-Rybka
08:53 20 Jul 20
Highly recommend doing Naomi’s online cook along, it was such a great experience. Loved learning new recipes and learning new cooking tips along the way. Enjoyed making a few meals together with a great group of people and the food was absolutely delicious. Look forward to doing more classes. Thank you for creating this wonderful experience bringing foodies together sharing knowledge in cooking good simple, wholesome and delicious food. It was so much fun.
Aliki Zouliou
Aliki Zouliou
10:13 26 Jun 20
Cooking can sometimes be a chore for me but Naomi's cook-along classes have been so much fun! With her guidance I was able to whip up delightful meals that I normally wouldn’t have attempted, ready right in time for dinner – AND enjoyed by all the family!I found it was easy to multi-task when listening to voice instructions during the classes and being able to glance over at the screen at any time allowed me to visually check that I was on track. It was also reassuring having Naomi there ‘live’ in my kitchen to answer any questions along the way.Looking forward to the next Thursday night cook-along!!!
Patricia Colaci
Patricia Colaci
08:35 26 Jun 20
Thanks Naomi for another great, fun Cook-Along session last night. We always look forward to our Thursday night Foodcentric Cook-Alongs. The Moroccan Lamb Tagine was absolutely scrumptious and even had leftovers for today 😋 Looking forward to next week session - Surprise Mozzarella Meatballs & Brie & Garlic Bread. 😊
Julie Hughes
Julie Hughes
00:00 24 Jun 20
Best $20 ever invested in myself. This was my first on line zoom class, I was not sure what to expect. I found myself completely immersed in the experience. Fantastic collegiate experience, lovely to meet others over zoom and such fun!. Really helpful to be cooking with an expert. I learnt simple ways of tweaking dishes, so helpful! The class was structured and very easy to follow and to be honest it made cooking this family meal effortless. I was sad when the hour was up but very proud of what I created. I am a convert now! Naomi was very generous and thoughtful in the way she provided a shopping list before hand and the menu. Perfect for people who love to cook, want to learn more skills. For those who can't get out this online format provides some great social engagement and something to look forward to. Just do it!
Ursula Czubala
Ursula Czubala
23:36 23 Jun 20
Cooking classes with Naomi are fun, relaxed and educational! My favourite part of these classes, is I'm cooking from my own kitchen (don't go anywhere!), and I get to eat dinner with my family straight after the 1 hour session is done at 7pm. They're affordable and something to look forward to each week. Thanks Naomi!
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