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Spice-Rubbed Pot Roast Recipe

Spice-Rubbed Pot Roast
Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: | Makes: 6 to 8 servings

Pot roast may conjure thoughts of Sunday supper at the grandparents’ house, but this roast is anything but geriatric. With its nontraditional mix of Cajun spices, it pairs well with our grits soufflé, for a homey twist on a classic meal.

This recipe was featured as part of our Cold-Weather Comfort Food Menu.

INGREDIENTS
  • 5 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 (4-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium white onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium celery stalk, coarsely chopped
  • 4 medium garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 4 fresh thyme sprigs
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Heat the oven to 300°F and arrange a rack in the lower third.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the salt, paprika, pepper, and cayenne. Evenly rub the spice mix on all sides of the roast; set aside.
  3. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid over medium heat until smoking, about 5 minutes. Add the meat and brown it on all sides, about 20 minutes total; remove to a plate.
  4. Add the onion, celery, and garlic to the pot, season with salt, and cook until just softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat the vegetables. Pour the beef broth into the pot and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Add the thyme, reserved meat, and any accumulated juices to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook in the oven until the roast is fork tender, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
    Write a review | 6 Reviews

  • I did that, ikele76! I substituted mushroom broth for beef broth (what I had on hand), too; and it was so good that I actually left my dinner party so I could run out and get more bread so we could keep eating the sauce. (I cooked it on low all day and then turned it to warm when i got home while I prepped sides.)

  • I rubbed the salt/spice mix on pretty thickly and let it sit in the fridge 24 hours (not originally what I had planned, but I figured it would be okay.) This was tasty but A LOT of salt and paprika, I would use less next time. And I'm someone who likes a lot of salt! I also couldn't resist adding several chopped potatoes to the pot, which was a good call.

  • We enjoyed this one very much. A few notes: I would use a little less than the recommended salt and the cayenne during browning may cause you to sneeze alot, be sure to open the windows.

  • MacGuffin, I've cooked my pot roasts on my cook top and in my oven and the oven is the only way to go as far as I'm concerned. Throw the lid on the pot after browning, shove it in the oven at a low temp, and get on with other stuff while it simmers away. Few hours later you've got the best pot roast!

    I found using the stove top (mine is gas) I was forever having to stop and check that my roast was not simmering in the liquid too fast, or worse, that the liquid had reduced to nothing.
    I've also tried doing a pot roast in my slow cooker/crock pot. Added the roast & extra's after browning and let it simmer on low all day. The pot roast was okay, quite tasty, but not anywhere as tasty as the pot roasts I do in the oven.

  • I realize this may sound naive but isn't pot roast a roast that's cooked in a pot on a range rather than in the oven?

  • How about a slow cooker after browning ?

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