Pot Roast

Pot roasting or braising is simple. Long, slow cooking yields an irresistibly tender roast from some of the most economical and flavourful cuts of beef. Once the roast is simmering, the work is done, with little to clean up.

Get Ready

SEASON roast, in lightly oiled Dutch oven or stockpot, brown roast over medium-high heat.
ADD 1 to 2 cups liquid such as red wine, broth, canned tomatoes or soup.
COVER and simmer on stove top or in 325°F (160°C) oven for 3 hours or until fork-tender (or simmer in slow cooker on LOW for 8 to 10 hours).
ADD chunks of vegetables for final 45 minutes, if desired. Skim fat from sauce and season to taste

TIME SAVER: Browning Pot Roast before cooking helps to develop beef flavour BUT if pressed for time, you can skip this step without too much sacrifice.

Watch

Common Cuts

Brisket Pot Roast Boneless

Brisket Double/Point End/ Deckle

Blade Pot Roast Boneless

Bottom Blade Pot Roast Boneless

Top Blade Pot Roast

Cross Rib Pot Roast Boneless

Myth Buster

MYTH:

You brown the meat before braising to lock in the juices.

TRUTH:

Searing does not lock in juices, but it does help to add flavour and to add colour to the sauce. If you don’t have time to do the browning step not to worry – the results will still be delicious.

Tips for Perfect Pot Roast

Cooks Notes:

Cook a pot roast on Sunday to enjoy the next night. Just arrange slices of leftover cooked roast in a baking dish with pan juices, cover and refrigerate. To reheat, cover pan with foil and heat in 325°F (160°C) oven for 30 minutes or until hot.

Slow cookers make Pot Roasts a good fit for weekday dinners.

TIME SAVER: Browning Pot Roast before cooking helps to develop beef flavour BUT if pressed for time, you can skip this strep without too much sacrifice.

Roast Beef refers to a cut that has a chunky shape – often like a cylinder or cube. Roasts can have a range of sizes cut to suit you, from 1 lb (500g) Quick Roasts to 10 lb (4.5kb) or more. They come with a range of tenderness and require one of three basic cooking methods.

All Canadian roasts are sorted into 3 BASIC COOKING CATEGORIES so you know what you’re buying and how to cook it: Choose from OVEN ROAST, POT ROAST and ROTISSERIE ROAST.

Size Matters: Butchers recommend you buy enough beef for generous servings or to allow for leftovers:
• Buy 6 to 8 oz (175 to 250g) raw beef per person (boneless roast)
• Buy 12 oz (375g) raw beef per person (bon-in roast)

Make-ahead Tip:

Pot Roasts actually taste better when made the day ahead! Here’s how: Refrigerate cooked pot roast overnight in its braising sauce. Next day, skim any fat from sauce and thinly slice roast crosswise; place meat in ovenproof casserole. Heat sauce and pour over meat. Cover and heat in 350°F (180°C) oven for about 25 minutes.

Slow Cooker Solution:

Beef slow-cooker meals are the ultimate in convenience. To convert your favourite stew or pot roast recipe to cook in the slow cooker following these simple steps:

BROWN beef, onion and garlic on stove-top (as usual); transfer to slow cooker insert.
DEGLAZE the pan used for browning and add to meat in slow cooker insert.
ADJUST cooking liquid from recipe, using 30 to 50% less cooking liquid.
CHOOSE the LOW setting on slow cooker (HIGH heat can cause meat to be stringy and overcooked).
ADD fresh herbs and sweet green pepper near end of cooking.
ADJUST seasonings to taste before serving.

Slow Cooker Jerk Beef Pot Roast with Braised Carrots, Rice & Peas and Wilted Greens

Cuts used with Pot Roasting

Common Cuts | Pot Roast

Raw, Brisket Pot Roast Boneless

Brisket Pot Roast Boneless

One of the most flavourful beef cuts, Pot Roast needs to be slowly simmered/braised for optimal tenderness. Brisket can also be cooked slowly on the grill by indirect heat or it can be smoked or made into corned beef.

Raw, Brisket Double/ Point End/ Deckle

Brisket Double/ Point End/ Deckle

The thicker section of the brisket that is ideal for barbecue smoking and for turning into pulled beef. Bold beefy flavour. Tender when slowly-cooked and thinly sliced. It is also good marinated and slow roast/pot-roast/braise.

Raw, Blade Pot Roast

Blade Pot Roast

One of the best beef cuts for pot roast or cut into chunks for stew, slowly simmer/ braise in a seasoned broth in a covered container for optimal tenderness.

Raw, Bottom Blade Pot Roast Boneless

Bottom Blade Pot Roast Boneless

One of the best beef cuts for pot roast or cut into chunks for stew, slowly simmer/braise in a seasoned broth in a covered container for optimal tenderness.

Raw, Top Blade Pot Roast

Top Blade Pot Roast

The best beef for pot roast or pulled beef or cut into chunks for stew. Slowly simmer/braise in a seasoned broth in a covered container for optimal tenderness.

Raw, Cross Rib Pot Roast Boneless

Cross Rib Pot Roast Boneless

A lean flavourful beef cut, Pot Roast needs to be slowly simmered/braised for optimal tenderness, much like stew.

Alternate Cuts | Pot Roast

Raw, Brisket Flat End

Brisket Flat End

Thinner section of the brisket that is ideal for corned beef. Bold beefy flavour. Tender when slowly-cooked and thinly sliced. Also good marinated and slow roast/pot-roast/ braise.

Raw, Shoulder Pot Roast

Shoulder Pot Roast

A lean flavourful beef cut, Pot Roast needs to be slowly simmered/braised for optimal tenderness, much like stew.

Pot Roast recipes

Barbecue-Style Pot Roast

Take the heat out of the kitchen with barbecue-braising. This recipe works using Simmering Steaks too, but cooks them for only about an hour.

Slow Cooker Pulled Beef Barbacoa-style

The slow-cooker is great to use all year-round. Use it in summer to help keep your kitchen cool and ensure that you are out of the kitchen enjoying summer-fun! If you find Ancho chili paste in the grocery store, you can substitute it for the canned chipotle peppers.

Barbecue Style Beef Pot Roast

To enjoy as a speedy weeknight dinner recipe, use the Make Ahead Plan: Cook beef pot roast and refrigerate overnight in the sauce it was cooked in. Next day, skim any fat from sauce and thinly slice roast crosswise; place slices of meat in an ovenproof casserole. Heat sauce and pour over meat. Cover with foil or casserole lid; heat in 350°F (180°C) oven for about 25 minutes.

Three-Tomato Beef Pot Roast

Consider the convenience of the slow cooking Beef Pot Roast recipe – it makes its own delicious sauce while cooking and can also be made a day ahead, re-warming nicely in its own gravy. Could there be an easier dinner for family or guests than this Three-Tomato Beef Pot Roast? “I would use this method again – loved the combo cook, simple to follow and delicious results!!” —Reader Comment

Pressure Cooker Sweet & Sticky Beef Pot Roast

With a sweet and tangy cola-based sauce, this brisket is tasty when sliced and served in burger buns topped with your favourite coleslaw. It’s also great served with steamed rice and broccoli, and a garnish of green onions and sesame seeds.

Greek Beef Pot Roast and More…

This slow-cooker beef recipe serves 4 to 6 with enough left over for delicious dinner options the next night.

Herb-Glazed Braised Beef Brisket with Root Vegetables

Bring comfort food to the next level with this tender and delicious, slow-braised beef brisket. Accompanied by root vegetables and drizzled with a tasty fresh herb glaze, this brisket is dressed to impress.

Hearty Fall Beef Pot Roast Dinner

This hearty recipe is essentially dinner-in-a-pot, using an interesting mix of fall vegetables and Canadian Beef. Although it has a whole head of garlic, its flavour mellows during cooking.

Petite Pot Roast

Ginger-Braised Beef

Beef Simmering Steak becomes meltingly tender when simmered in this ginger stir-fry type of sauce in this slow cooker recipe. You can substitute chopped spinach for the bok choy, simmering for just three minutes or until the spinach is just wilted. Serve with Chinese noodles or steamed rice.

Slow Cooker Spanish Pot Roast

Mexican Barbecoa Beef Bites

This slow simmer dinner is perfect for a small family on a cold winter's day. Since it is made with Simmering Steak, you get a meal that is much like a stew or pot roast. It's perfect to prepare in the slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Spiced Beef Brisket

With the slow cooker started in the morning, dinner is ready when you are!

Beer & Garlic Beef Pot Roast

Both beer and garlic mellow as they slow-simmer - so no need to be alarmed by the quantities used here - they accent the beef beautifully. BIG BONUS: Use the any leftover beef to make a hearty quick barley soup for next day lunch or dinner.

Slow Cooked Beef with Roasted Peppers and Herb Polenta

Tender beef pot roast with hints of briny roast peppers and olives are the perfect match for the creamy cheesy polenta.

Marvellous Mushroom Pot Roast

Pot roasts make the most comforting one-pot meals. And bonus – they’re so simple to make: Just brown meat and flavourings, add a liquid for cooking, cover and slow-simmer – that's all there is to it!

Summertime Slow-cooker Pulled Beef

The slow-cooker in summer is the perfect way to keep your kitchen cool. Use it to cook beef pot roast for amazing pulled beef that's great for topping buns or baked potatoes. Make ahead for the ultimate convenience.

Slow-Cooker Greek Beef Pot Roast with Garden Orzo Salad

Make this easy slow-cooker recipe with your favourite Pot Roast: Cross Rib, Blade or Shoulder. If you want to make in the oven, brown and cook the roast in a heavy covered Dutch Oven pot or cast-iron roaster at an oven temperature of 325°F (160°C) for 3 hours or until fork-tender.

Corned Beef Dinner with Marmalade Glaze

This recipe is a perennial favourite for St. Patrick's day. Use a large slow cooker (20 to 24 cup or 5 to 6 L) for this recipe. If you have a smaller one, cut the corned beef brisket to fit. The cabbage is cooked separately after meat is finished so it won't impart its strong flavour to the other vegetables. Serve with your favourite mustard.

Slow Cooker Marvellous Mushroom Pot Roast

Pot roasts make the most comforting one-pot meals. And bonus – they’re so simple to make: Just brown meat and flavourings, add a liquid for cooking, cover and slow-simmer - that's all there is to it! “In terms of tenderness, I would give the roast 5 stars.” —Reader Comment

Pressure Cooker Weeknight Mongolian Beef

Mongolian Beef is actually a dish from Taiwan and is often served in Canadian-style Chinese restaurants. Usually made with Flank Steak, this recipe with Beef Rib Finger Meat makes a wonderful and flavourful substitute. Cooking the beef in a pressure cooker means this braise cooks in a fraction of the time. You could also serve this saucy beef over rice noodles, cellophane noodles or ramen noodles instead of rice.

Beef Pot Roast with Braised Vegetables

Classic Beef Pot Roast makes a delicious meal that is ready when you are when made in the slow cooker. If you don't own a slow cooker, cook the pot roast and vegetables in a heavy Dutch oven pot at 325°F (160°C) in the oven for about 3 hours or until fork-tender.

Rosemary Pot Roast with Braised Vegetables

The recipe for this tender, slow cooked Rosemary Beef Pot Roast comes with its own side-dish of braised vegetables.

Slow-cooker Vietnamese Style Beef Pot Roast with Asian Slaw

This slow-cooker pot roast is definitely not of the "ho-hum" variety. Serve roast with the Asian Slaw and some jasmine rice or Asian noodles. For a next day meal, make a Vietnamese-style sandwich by layering some leftover beef and Asian Slaw atop a sliced toasted baguette. TO MAKE WITHOUT A SLOW COOKER: Cook the pot roast with the sauce in the Dutch oven pot, covered with tight fitting lid in a 325°F (160°C) oven for about 3 hours or until meat is fork tender.

Slow Cooker Jerk Beef Pot Roast with Braised Carrots, Rice & Peas and Wilted Greens

A traditional pot roast is transformed with tropical flavours like allspice, cinnamon and coconut milk. The slow cooker and shortcut Rice & Peas method means this recipe can be a great dinner option any night of the week. Brown rice and wilted greens provide the fibre boost for this meal. This meal provides a whopping 109% of your daily zinc needs.