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!