Ina Garten's Pot Roast Recipe

Barefoot Contessa's Company pot roast recipe on a plate from the top view.

Ina Garten's Pot Roast Recipe

This Ina Garten Pot Roast recipe (aka Company Pot Roast) is a rich, savory, and elegant dish that's perfect to serve for your next dinner party. In this foolproof guide, we'll teach you how to make it in the oven and in your slow cooker. However you choose to make it, it's sure to impress!

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 5

Total Time 5 30

Servings servings

Calories 699kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

For The Roast:

5 pounds Prime boneless beef chuck roast
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil

For The Vegetables:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups carrots peeled and chopped
2 cups yellow onions chopped
2 cups celery chopped
2 cups chopped leeks chopped (both white and light green parts)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
5 garlic cloves minced
2 cups red wine Burgundy or Chianti
2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy optional
1 large can diced tomatoes (28-ounce)
1 cup chicken stock
3 branches fresh thyme
2 branches fresh rosemary

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. (163 degrees C.).
Place the meat on a cutting board and pat dry with a sheet of paper towel on all sides. Tie meat using kitchen twine. Season it with salt and pepper. Dredge the whole meat in flour, ensuring that all parts are covered with flour. Shake the excess flour.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Cook the meat for 4-5 minutes on each side. Transfer it to a large plate, cover it with aluminum foil, and set it aside. Do not wash the Dutch oven.
Heat oil in the now-empty Dutch oven. Place chopped carrots, onions, celery, leeks, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper in the Dutch oven. Cook until all vegetables soften, 12-15 minutes, stirring often. You do not want the vegetables to turn brown.
Stir in the wine and cognac (if using), followed by tomatoes and chicken stock. Make an herb bouquet by tying thyme and rosemary. Place in the pan.
Transfer the roast back to the Dutch oven, bring it to a boil, and let it come to a simmer for 12-15 minutes.
Put the lid on and place it in the oven. Roast for 2 ½ hours, or the internal temperature registers 160 degrees F (72 degrees C.) when inserted with a digital thermometer. Next, turn the heat down to 250 F Degrees (or 122 degrees C) and let it simmer at that low temperature for an hour.
Carefully remove the pot roast onto a cutting board and cover it loosely with aluminum foil. Discard the bundle of herbs. Using a large spoon, skim off the fat on top of the juices as much as possible.
Transfer 3-4 cups of the sauce (about half of the sauce) and vegetables into a bowl and puree until smooth. I used an immersion blender but a food processor fitted with the steel blade or a standing blender would also work.
Pour the pureed sauce back into the pot. Put the Dutch oven on the stovetop, turn the heat on to medium-low, and return to a simmer for about 15 minutes.
Remove the strings from the roast and slice the meat.
When ready to serve, place 2 (or more) slices of meat on a dinner plate and spoon the vegetable sauce over it.

Notes

A few changes I made to the original recipe: When I first made this Barefoot Contessa roast, I followed the original recipe to a T. After several times making the dish, I made a few changes to enhance its flavor and texture. For instance, I didn’t add a chicken bouillon cube, which made the sauce too salty for my taste. I also chose not to add flour and butter to thicken the pot roast sauce at the end. I thought that there was enough fat in the liquid even after skimming most of it.
Store: To store the leftovers, first bring them to room temperature. Then, portion the roast into your desired number of airtight containers (perfect for meal prep!) and store them in the fridge for up to five days.
Reheat: You can reheat the leftovers by placing them in an oven-proof casserole dish and baking them for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F. Or, you can reheat your leftovers on the stovetop if desired.
Freeze: To freeze, place the meat with some juices in one airtight container and place the sauce in another. Separately freezing these components will ensure easy serving in the future. You can then store your two containers in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Thaw: The easiest, safest way to thaw it is to place it in the fridge overnight and reheat it just before serving.

Nutrition