This recipe for Red Wine Braised Pot Roast with Gravy is so mind-bogglingly good that you'll swear that it has more than seven ingredients! The key to getting ultra-tender and delicious results is to approach this with a low-and-slow mentality. This starts with searing the chuck roast on all sides, then braising it in a combination of red wine, beef stock, onion, shallots, and a bit of fresh thyme. Cooking on low for several hours gives you juicy, melt-in-your-mouth, and amazingly tender results!
Red Wine Braised Pot Roast and Gravy Ingredients
The Roast
This recipe begins with a well-marbled, boneless, or bone-in chuck roast. Look for a cut of meat that is bright red in color and has a decent amount of intramuscular fat. This fat and connective tissue is what renders down and provides us with that silky-smooth, tender texture we're looking for. The rest of the ingredients are listed below:
- Boneless (or bone-in) Beef Chuck Roast
- Onion
- Shallot
- Red Wine
- Beef Broth
- Fresh Thyme
Begin by heating a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the roast and heavily sear on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes per side. You want a deep mahogany crust on all sides of the beef.
Remove the beef and add your onions to the beef fat and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until soft. Add the shallot and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add the red wine to deglaze the pan, releasing any browned pieces that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Top with the beef broth, return the meat to the pan, and add the fresh thyme sprigs.
Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover and cook for three to four hours, flipping the meat several times throughout the cook. The meat is done when it registers 195-200°F on an instant-read thermometer and is fork-tender and falling apart. Remove the meat, loosely cover it, and allow it to rest while you make the gravy.
Gravy
One of the best parts of this recipe is the rich, flavorful gravy that you get from the braising liquid. All you need to do is strain out the solids from the liquid, skim off the fat, and cook the braising liquid down with some water, butter, flour, minced shallots, and fresh thyme.
The key to thickening the gravy is to take equal parts softened butter and all-purpose flour and mash them together with a fork to form a paste. This allows you to add the butter and flour all at once, so you don't end up with lumpy gravy. Adding a touch of shallots and fresh thyme adds some brightness to the gravy and ties in some of the flavors of the roast that were used earlier.
Serving Suggestions
What is a pot roast without mashed potatoes? It's sad....that's what! Give my recipe for Thyme Infused Mashed Potatoes a try to complete the experience! These are delicious and make a perfect side dish to this meal.
Roasted vegetables are another fantastic pairing with pot roast. Give my recipe for Carolina Brussels Sprouts a try! Brussels sprouts are roasted with bacon, topped with crumbled goat cheese, and drizzled with my recipe for Carolina White Barbecue Sauce!
Did you make this this recipe for Red Wine Braised Pot Roast with Gravy?
Let me know in the comments below how yours turned out, and don't forget to leave a rating!
Recipe
Red Wine Braised Pot Roast with Gravy
Equipment
- Fine Mesh Sieve
- Turkey Baster or Fat Skimmer
- Instant Read Digital Thermometer Optional, but recommended
Ingredients
Red Wine Braised Pot Roast
- 2-3 Tablespoons Neutral Oil or Butter
- 3-4 lb. Beef Chuck Roast
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt Per Pound of Meat Plus more to taste
- 1 Onion Halved and Thinly Sliced
- 1 Large or 2 Small Shallot(s) Minced, Reserve 1 tablespoon for Gravy Below
- 1 Cup Dry Red Wine Cabernet, Malbec, Chianti, etc.
- 1 Quart Low Sodium Beef Stock 32 oz.
- 4 - 5 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- Black Pepper To Taste
Gravy
- 1 ½ Cups Reserved Braising Liquid Solids Strained & Fat Skimmed
- 1 ½ Cups Water
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
- 1 Tablespoon Minced Shallot From Above
- 2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- Kosher Salt To Taste
- Black Pepper To Taste
Instructions
Red Wine Braised Pot Roast
- Heat a large Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. While pan is heating, pat your roast dry, and apply ½ teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of meat on all sides.
- Add oil or butter to the Dutch oven and melt. Add beef and sear heavily on all sides, approximate 8 to 10 minutes per side. Remove meat from pot.
- Add sliced onion with a pinch of kosher salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add shallots and stir to combine. Cook for an additional 3 minutes.
- Add red wine to the Dutch oven and deglaze (scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan).
- Add beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and begin to simmer. Add the seared beef back to the pan and add thyme sprigs.
- Partially cover and cook for approximately 3 - 4 hours until the meat is falling apart and the internal temperature registers 200 - 205°F. Remove meat from pan, cover and allow to rest while you prepare the gravy.
Gravy
- Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the solids from the braising liquid, discarding the solids and reserving the liquid. There should be approximately 1 ½ cups remaining.
- Let the braising liquid rest to allow the fat to separate to the top. Use a fat separator or a turkey baster to remove as much of the fat as possible.
- Return the braising liquid to the Dutch oven and add an equal amount of water, approximately 1 ½ cups.
- Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat and simmer for 5 minutes
- While the braising liquid is simmering, mix the butter and all-purpose flour together to form a paste.
- Add the butter/flour mixture to the Dutch oven and whisk constantly until flour and butter is completely incorporated, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the reserved minced shallot and sprigs of thyme. Simmer for an additional 5-minutes until the gravy is thickened and it coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove the thyme sprigs and add kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Spoon over meat.
Michelle Goode says
This is the most tender, delicious pot roast I have ever eaten. I can't go back to the old way of making it. Served with a side of mashed potatoes, this is hearty and comforting to have for dinner! I love it!! Five stars for sure!