Fall-Apart Tender Guinness Pot Roast with Gold Potatoes

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 4 hours

Ingredients

3-3 ½ pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat

kosher salt and ground black pepper

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered

2 stalks celery, sliced into ½-inch pieces

⅓ cup tomato paste (about ½ of a 6-ounce can)

1 cup beef stock or broth

6-8 cloves garlic, smashed

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar, plus more to taste

10-12 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with twine (or sub 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

2 dried bay leaves

3 large carrots, peeled as desired and sliced into chunky 2-3 inch pieces

5 Yukon Gold potatoes, halved

two 12-ounce bottles Guinness Draught Stout (see Recipe Notes)

flour slurry: 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour whisked into ½ cup of beef stock/broth

Directions

Method Overview:

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Prep

If time allows, 20-30 minutes before you begin cooking, pull the beef roast from the refrigerator to allow to come up to room temperature. Just before cooking, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, ensuring a rack is positioned in the center of the oven. Use a paper towel to pat the beef as dry as possible. Season liberally with kosher salt and ground black pepper; a good rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon kosher salt per pound of meat.

Brown the beef

Add the olive oil to a large, oven-safe pot with a tight fitting lid (I use a 5-qt Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Once hot and shimmering, carefully add the seasoned beef. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Transfer the beef to a plate and set aside. Carefully pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot (discard once cooled).

Build the aromatic base

Return the pot to medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook 2-3 minutes, until slightly softened. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1-2 minutes longer. To deglaze the pot, slowly pour in the beef stock, while scraping up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, light brown sugar, fresh thyme, and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a simmer.

Assemble the Guinness pot roast

Add the browned chuck roast to the pot, nestling the carrots and potatoes around it. Pour in the Guinness until the liquid comes about halfway up the sides of the roast (you’ll use about 1 ½ – 2 bottles). Remove from the heat (do not boil).

Braise the pot roast

Cover and transfer to the oven. Braise for 3 – 3 ½ hours. You’ll know the pot roast is ready when it’s fall-apart tender, shredding easily with the twist of a fork. Remove from the oven.

Finish the Guinness pot roast

Carefully transfer the roast and vegetables to a serving platter. Remove and discard the spent herbs and bay leaves. If desired, thicken the Guinness sauce into a gravy: skim off any excess fat from the top of the braising liquid, then gradually stir in the flour slurry until thickened as desired. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes to cook off the raw flour. Taste and season with additional kosher salt and ground black pepper as needed. If the gravy tastes slightly bitter, stir in an additional tablespoon or two of brown sugar to balance.

Serve immediately

Slice the chuck roast into 6 hearty pieces and serve immediately with the braised vegetables and plenty of Guinness gravy drizzled over top. Enjoy!

Nutrition

• Calories: 565
• Total Fat: 16.4 g
• Saturated Fat: 4 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 134 mg
• Sodium: 631.2 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 45.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4.4 g
• Total Sugars: 10.7 g
• Protein: 50.5 g