How to Make Red-Wine Chuck Roast

This could be the best pot roast ever. It requires an extra step or two compared with a regular pot roast, but there's really nothing to this one. You'll need to start with one recipe of our red-wine marinade and begin a day ahead (see Related eHows). This recipe serves four.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Groceries
• Cooking Pots
• Plastic Food Containers
• Skillets
• Skimmers
• Strainers
• Paper Towels
• 1 (2- to 3-lb.) chuck roast
• kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 c. chicken stock, beef stock or water
• 1/4 c. (or so) vegetable oil
• 1/2 c. (or so) flour

1. Prepare the red-wine marinade. It will require you to boil or burn off the alcohol. When it has cooled, place the marinade and all its contents in a sealable container or plastic bag.
2. Add the chuck roast and marinate overnight in the refrigerator, turning a few times.
3. Drain the roast the next day - reserving the marinade - and pat it dry with paper towels. Season it well on both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. Meanwhile, strain the reserved marinade into a large ovenproof pan such as a Dutch oven or roasting pan. Bring the liquid to a slow simmer, and skim off and discard the foam that rises to the surface.
5. Add the 2 c. stock or water and bring back to a simmer.
6. Heat the oven to 325 degrees F.
7. Heat a thin sheen of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
8. Dust the roast with flour, shake off the excess, and brown on both sides. Brown it thoroughly, but be careful not to brown it too dark. Any charred parts will make the gravy bitter.
9. Place the roast in the simmering liquid.
10. Note that at this point you have several options. You can return the marinade's seasonings to the pan and cook them with the roast, then strain the gravy at the end, or you can add fresh onions, carrots and potatoes 2 hours into cooking and eat them with the roast.
11. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 3 hours.
12. When done, remove and slice the roast.
13. Taste the gravy and adjust the seasonings. If you want to thicken it, you can reduce it by simmering, or whisk in a little roux (see Related eHows).

Tips & Warnings

• Browning the beef well and letting it cook low and slow is what gives pot roast its flavor. Although the number of steps seems like a lot, this recipe is really very easy.
• Trim the roast of all visible fat before marinating.