Comfort food in the winter is the best! This braised pot roast with brown butter mashed potatoes is the kind of meal that feels like a hug served on a plate. The chuck roast is slow-cooked until it practically falls apart, bathed in a rich sauce of balsamic, maple, and fresh herbs that fills your kitchen with the most inviting aroma. On the side, you’ve got silky mashed potatoes with nutty brown butter—golden, creamy, and downright irresistible.
It’s the kind of hearty, stick-to-your-ribs dinner that warms both body and soul. Perfect for a cozy family meal or as the star of your next holiday gathering—I can almost guarantee it will have people going back for seconds. And if you really want to elevate it, serve it with a glass of Del Rio Cabernet Sauvignon. The bold, velvety notes of the wine pair beautifully with the richness of the roast. Comfort, elegance, and flavor all in one meal—the ultimate pairing.
Ingredients
For the Pot Roast:
- 3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons avocado or olive oil
- 1 yellow onion & 4 celery ribs - diced
- 4 large carrots, chopped. I like these a bit bigger than the celery & onions
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour or regular flour
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth (can sub for 2 cups red wine, 2 cups beef broth)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
For the Mashed Potatoes:
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed – can omit if you per
- 2 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, additional to taste
- 1 cup whole milk
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
For the Pot Roast:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Generously season the chuck roast on all sides with salt and black pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium/high heat. Add the roast and sear on 2 sides until browned, about 5 minutes per side. Remove and set aside on a large plate, leaving the oil behind.
- In the same Dutch oven, add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring often and scraping up the brown bits from the pot, until tender and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Mix in the tapioca flour and cook while stirring constantly until absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the beef broth, balsamic vinegar, and pure maple syrup while stirring constantly to prevent flour clumps.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then continue simmering until reduced into a thick liquid, 18 to 20 minutes. Salt to taste.
- Place the roast in the center of the Dutch oven, add the thyme and rosemary sprigs (best if tied with twine and pushed down under the liquid), cover, and transfer to the oven on the center rack. Cook until the roast is tender enough to shred easily, about 3 hours and 15 minutes. Remove the lid and turn over the roast, then place back in the oven (uncovered) and cook until the top is brown and the liquid is thickened, 35 to 40 minutes. (Check to make sure it needs this extra time. It depends on how think the roast is cut. If it is tender, serve it up. You don’t want it to dry out)
- Remove the thyme and rosemary and skim the fat that rose to the surface and discard.
For the Mashed Potatoes:
- Add the butter to a large pot over medium-low heat. Cook until melted, then add the garlic and heat until the butter turns brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Fill the same pot with the cubed potatoes, plus the 4 garlic cloves and 2 teaspoons of salt, and enough water to cover them by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, 14 to 16 minutes.
- Strain the potatoes and garlic and add to the bowl with the brown butter. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher (or a fork if you don’t have one) as much as possible. Pour in the milk and continue mashing until absorbed (do this while the potatoes are still hot).
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste, and serve. While the roast is still in the pot – use 2 forks and pull apart for serving. Best is you serve with a pile of mash potatoes and the pot roast with the delicious gravy mixture on top. Enjoy!!
