Beef roasts cooked low and slow are a food I have yet to tire of. Cooked in wine, Guinness, even unexciting water (like this); on noodles, potatoes, and in grilled cheese – I love it all.
Here is a variation of a favorite, comforting pot roast with additions of grainy Dijon and reduced balsamic. It is a lot of bold flavor in a familiar setting!
One of the things I love most about pot roasts is you have to do next to nothing to the meat before cooking it. Minimizing raw meat handling is sometimes a life goal for me. Here, the chuck roast gets rubbed with salt and pepper, quickly browned in olive oil, and then it cooks on top of the carrots and onions until it is falling apart.
The carrots in this deserve a special mention because WOW they are good after cooking in the mustardy balsamic liquid. Most definitely my favorite part of the dish!
Dijon and Balsamic Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 (3-4 pound) chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 2 yellow onions, peeled and quartered
- 1 1/2 pounds carrots, halved
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Heat the olive oil over medium in a large Dutch oven. Pat chuck roast dry with paper towels and rub with salt and pepper to coat. Place in Dutch oven and brown 5 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.Add onions, carrots, and garlic cloves and cook 3-4 minutes, until onion begins to soften. Pour in vinegar and cook until reduced and slightly syrupy – about another 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and stir to combine. Add mustard and cook 1 minute more. Stir in 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.Place browned roast on top of carrots and onions. Cover and bake for 3-4 hours, until beef is tender. Shred or slice meat and serve.
