All-American Pot Roast with Gravy

Get ready to savor the comforting and classic flavors of All-American Pot Roast with Gravy. This hearty dish features tender boneless chuck roast, perfectly seasoned and slow-cooked to perfection, creating a melt-in-your-mouth experience. The chuck roast is enriched with a savory anchovy-garlic mixture and braised with vegetables, red wine, and fragrant herbs, resulting in a rich and flavorful gravy. This recipe serves 6 to 8, making it an ideal choice for a family gathering or a delicious leftovers meal. Prepare this pot roast in advance, and the flavors will only get better as it sits, ready to be enjoyed whenever you desire. Let’s dive into the steps to create this mouthwatering All-American Pot Roast with Gravy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 boneless chuck roast (about 5 pounds), pulled apart at the seam into 2 large chunks, excess fat and gristle trimmed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 anchovy fillets
• 2 medium cloves garlic, finely minced or grated on a Microplane (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon Marmite
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 large onions, finely sliced (about 4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 bottle (750-ml) dry red wine
• 4 cups homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock
• ¼-ounce (1 packet) unflavored gelatin
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 pound russet baking potatoes (about 2 large), peeled and cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prepping the Chuck Roast: Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 225°F (107°C).
2. Pat the pulled-apart chuck roast pieces dry and season them generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Tie kitchen twine tightly around each piece at 1-inch intervals to help the roast retain its shape during cooking.
4. Browning the Chuck Roast: In a large Dutch oven, heat vegetable oil over high heat until it lightly smokes.
5. Add the seasoned chuck roast pieces and cook, turning occasionally, until all sides are well-browned, taking about 8 to 10 minutes.
6. Transfer the browned beef to a large bowl.
7. Making the Anchovy-Garlic Mixture: In a small bowl, mash together anchovy fillets, finely minced garlic, Marmite, soy sauce, and tomato paste until a smooth and homogeneous paste forms.
8. Cooking the Vegetables and Gravy Base: Return the Dutch oven to medium-high heat and add the chopped carrots and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables start to brown around the edges, which should take about 5 minutes.
9. Stir in the finely sliced onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions become very soft and light golden brown, which takes about 5 minutes.
10. Add the anchovy-garlic mixture to the pot and cook, stirring, until it becomes fragrant, which takes about 1 minute.
11. Sprinkle all-purpose flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, until no dry flour remains, which takes about 1 minute.
12. Increase the heat to high and, whisking constantly, slowly add the dry red wine. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the wine is reduced by half, which takes about 15 minutes.
13. Adding Liquid and Braising the Roast: While the wine is reducing, pour the chicken stock into a large liquid measuring cup or bowl and sprinkle the unflavored gelatin on top. Allow it to hydrate for 10 minutes.
14. Stir the hydrated gelatin and chicken stock, bay leaves, and fresh thyme into the Dutch oven with the reduced wine mixture.
15. Return the browned beef to the pot and bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover the pot, place it in the preheated oven, and cook until the beef is completely tender. The beef should offer little to no resistance when poked with a cake tester or thin knife, which should take about 3 hours.
16. Add the peeled and chopped russet potatoes to the pot about 45 minutes before the beef is done.
17. Once the pot roast is cooked, remove the Dutch oven from the oven and allow it to cool for 1 hour.
18. Chilling and Resting the Pot Roast: Transfer the whole Dutch oven to the refrigerator and let the pot roast rest overnight or up to 5 nights. This resting period allows the flavors to develop and intensify.
19. Preparing the Gravy: When ready to serve, carefully remove the hardened layer of fat from the top of the cooking liquid and discard.
20. Bring the cooking liquid to a boil over high heat and reduce it until it coats the back of a spoon but doesn’t taste heavy. Season the gravy to taste with salt and pepper.
21. Heating and Serving the Pot Roast: Remove the kitchen twine from the beef and slice the roast against the grain into ½-inch-thick pieces.
22. Place the sliced beef pieces in overlapping layers in a 12-inch skillet and add a few ladles of the reduced gravy to moisten them.
23. Cover the skillet and set it over medium-low heat, shaking occasionally, until the beef is heated through, which should take about 15 minutes.
24. Transfer the warm pot roast slices to warmed serving plates or a large platter and top them with the cooked vegetables and additional gravy.
25. Serve the All-American Pot Roast with Gravy immediately and enjoy the tender, flavorful meat and the savory, rich gravy.

Indulge in the timeless flavors of All-American Pot Roast with Gravy—a dish that brings comfort, warmth, and homely goodness to your table. With the beef slowly braised to perfection and the delicious gravy elevating the entire experience, this pot roast is bound to become a treasured favorite among family and friends.