Chef notes

This Guinness-braised pot roast is so simple to make but delivers deep, complex flavors. Braising a chuck roast at a low temperature for a long time in the oven is the surest way to guarantee a fork-tender piece of meat. You can make this roast as an ode to the Irish signature stout, Guinness, for St. Patrick's Day or just use the holiday as an excuse to cozy up with this rich, savory dish.

To start, season and sear the chuck roast. Searing the beef helps build a more flavorful braising liquid as the beef fat renders. This delicious browning, known as the maillard reaction, occurs on the surface of the seared meat. After searing, add thinly sliced onions and cook for 15 minutes along with tomato paste, brown sugar, Worcestershire and mustard, which will concentrate their flavor. Then, pour in an entire can of Guinness to deglaze the pan, along with a bit of beef stock and bay leaves. Place a lid on the Dutch oven, setting it slightly askew and bake in the oven. While the meat braises, the steam will start to evaporate, further concentrating the braising liquid and its flavor while still allowing the meat to cook in a moist environment, becoming tender.

I recommend serving the shredded meat on top of a big pile of mashed potatoes.

Technique Tip: You can make this roast a day or two ahead of serving it. Let the roast cool fully in the Dutch oven before storing in the fridge. The next day, skim the fat off the top of the pan. The chuck roast will also be easier to slice when it’s chilled, if you’d prefer to serve it that way. Otherwise, remove the chuck from the pan and place the pan back on the stove to warm and reduce the sauce before serving.

Swap Option: Swap the chuck roast with beef brisket for similar results.

Ingredients

extra-virgin olive oil, for searing
1 (3-pound) chuck roast
kosher salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
2 large yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
3 tablespoons double-concentrated tomato paste
3 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces
6 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 (14.9-ounce) can Guinness stout
1 cup beef stock
2 dried bay leaves
chopped fresh parsley, for serving

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Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

Set a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil and heat until shimmering.

Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Add it to the Dutch oven and brown it on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the sliced onions to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent.

Add the tomato paste, brown sugar, Worcestershire and mustard to the pan, stirring to coat the onions. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to brown.

Add the carrots, garlic, Guinness and beef stock to the pan stirring to combine. Nestle the seared chuck roast into the pan, ensuring that it’s at least ⅔ submerged. Tuck the bay leaves into the liquid and cover, placing the lid slightly askew so that steam can evaporate.

Bake for 2½ hours, then remove the lid and cook for another 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the chuck roast rest with the lid on for 30 minutes before shredding and serving.