Recipes Ingredients Meat & Poultry Beef Recipes Martha's Favorite Pot Roast Recipe 3.2 (427) 5 Reviews It's a classic for good reason. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 11, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Servings: 8 Pot roast is a dinnertime classic, and a one-pot dish that always satisfies a crowd. Martha's pot roast recipe, which was influenced by her mother's and grandmothers' cooking, uses a beef chuck roast braised on the stovetop. Adding water, rather than stock, to the dish for the braising liquid is a thrifty touch that nods to its frugal roots of using economical cuts of beef. Aromatic vegetables, like onion, carrots, and celery, flavor the liquid that cooks down to become the sauce served with the roast and vegetables, making it a filling, flavorful meal. Rob Tannenbaum 23 Dutch Oven Recipes That Make Delicious Dinners Ingredients For browning meat 3 to 4 pounds chuck roast, tied Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper Olive oil For aromatics 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced (1 ½ cups) 1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped (¾ cup) 1 rib celery, coarsely chopped (¾ cup) 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced 1 dried bay leaf ¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns 3 sprigs fresh thyme For braising meat 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more if needed 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar, plus more if needed 1 ¼ cups water For garnish vegetables ¾ pounds turnips, about 3, peeled and cut into 1 ½-inch wedges ¾ pound small new potatoes ¾ pound carrots, 4 to 5 medium, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths. Halve thick ends lengthwise, then cut into 3-inch lengths Directions Sear meat: Pat meat dry with paper towels, then season on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a Dutch oven over high heat for 2 minutes. Then add enough oil to barely coat bottom of pot and heat until shimmering. Sear the meat until golden brown, turning to cook all sides evenly, about 8 minutes. Don't be tempted to turn the meat too soon or it will tear. Instead, wait until it easily releases from the pot. Once it is nicely browned all over, remove it from the pot.If there are lots of blackened bits on the bottom of the pot, wipe it clean with a paper towel, or deglaze with a little water then discard. Cook aromatics: Reduce heat to medium. Add the olive oil and all of the aromatics, and cook, stirring fairly often, until the onion is translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. You may need to increase the heat after a minute or two if the onion isn't softening, but only increase it slightly. If the garlic or onion begins to burn, add a little water and stir up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add flour: Sprinkle the flour into the pot, and stir to coat everything evenly; cook the flour just long enough to remove the starchy taste without taking on any color, about 30 seconds. Add vinegar and deglaze pot: Add vinegar and water, and bring to a boil. Deglaze pot, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Return roast to pot: Put the roast in the pot; the water should come only about 1 inch up the sides of the meat. Reduce the heat so the liquid is simmering, not boiling, and cover the pot tightly with the lid so meat braises. Turn the meat every 30 minutes; the meat should be almost tender (a sharp knife inserted in the center should meet little resistance) after 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove meat, strain liquid: Remove the meat from the pot. Strain braising liquid through a fine sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible (discard solids). Place meat and liquid back in pot; add garnish vegetables: Return the roast and the strained liquid to the pot. Nestle the garnish vegetables around the roast, submerging them a bit in the liquid (the liquid should almost reach top of vegetables). Bring the liquid to a boil, then simmer until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. By the time the vegetables are tender, the meat should be very tender and give no resistance when pierced with a knife. (The meat will be firm enough to slice; if you want it to be falling-apart tender, cook 30 minutes more). Let meat and vegetables rest: Transfer the meat and vegetables to a serving platter, let stand for 15-20 minutes. Keep sauce warm, adjust consistency or flavor if needed: There should be about 1 cup of sauce in the pot. Cover pot to keep it warm while meat rests. If the sauce is too thin, heat until reduced (but be mindful of the saltiness, since the more sauce is reduced the saltier it will taste) or thicken it with a bit more flour, whisking until smooth. Add a small amount of vinegar if necessary to balance the flavors. Serve pot roast with vegetables and sauce: Remove trussing string and slice roast to desired thickness. Spoon some sauce over meat and vegetables to moisten and serve with remaining sauce on the side. 5 More Beef Chuck Roast Recipes to Try: Slow Cooker Pot Roast Garlic Lover’s Pot Roast Pot Roast With Bacon and Vegetables Shredded Beef Chuck Roast Korean Beef Chuck Roast Originally appeared: Martha Stewart's Cooking School, Episode 110 Rate It PRINT Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.