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Italian Pot Roast

Italian Pot Roast Recipe

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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 420
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 to 4 lb boneless beef chuck roast
  • 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)

Method
 

  1. Season the chuck roast with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the beef on all sides until deeply browned, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
  2. Reduce heat to medium and cook the onion, celery, and carrots until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes more.
  3. Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits. Reduce for about 3 minutes.
  4. Add crushed tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme. Return the roast to the pot, bring to a simmer, cover, and braise in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 2 ½ hours, or until fork-tender.
  5. Remove the roast and shred with two forks. Skim fat from the sauce, discard bay leaves and stems. Simmer sauce to thicken if needed, season to taste, then return the shredded meat to the pot and stir before serving.

Notes

The roast is done when it easily pulls apart with a fork. If the meat still feels firm, continue braising and check every 30 minutes. The sauce will thicken upon cooling; if it's too thin, simmer uncovered before serving. Stirring in a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar at the end adds a nice brightness.