The first step in making a pot roast, browning the seasoned meat in a little olive oil, is absolutely crucial, because this is how you seal in your flavor and enhance the color of the meat. You can season the roast with lots of different things: I just shake over a little season salt and garlic powder, but you can go as basic as salt and pepper, or get crazy with fresh minced garlic and chopped fresh herbs. Experiment!  

After your meat is nice and browned, you’re going to braise it (cook it for a long time over low heat in a few inches of liquid). For the braising liquid, you can also get pretty experimental. I use beef broth, but you can use anything from tomato juice to Coca-Cola. 

If you make just one of my recipes all winter…make it my pot roast. It takes a few hours, but is so simple - and what better way to spend a lazy winter Sunday than curled up with a book while a delicious roast simmers away on the stove? 

First, let’s talk pots. My dutch oven is on the smaller side and won’t fit a big roast, so I just used a huge soup pot. Really, you can use any heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid (TJ Maxx carries Le Creuset at crazy prices). 

Now, meat. You want a kinda fatty (=flavorful) cut, and it can be tough, because the long, slow cooking process will break down the connective tissue, resulting in a meltingly tender roast. Look for a cut with nice marbling, but avoid ones with long ribbons of fat.

The best cuts of meat for a pot roast are: