Try this Cranberry Pot Roast recipe for a comforting and savory meal.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 (4-5 pound) chuck roast
- salt + pepper
- 1 onion quartered
- 6 carrots cut into 1-inch pieces
- 12 ounces baby potatoes (optional i would omit if serving with mashed potatoes)
- 1 cup red wine (or another cup beef broth)
- 2-3 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 2 tablespoons honey
- mashed potatoes for serving
- Carbohydrate 20.700741790666 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 1.50198174375707 g
- Fiber 5.05690813351801 g
- Protein 2.20953994916153 g
- Saturated Fat 0.212260939467885 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (247g)
- Sodium 128.649590106093 mg
- Sugar 15.643833657148 g
- Trans Fat 0.167615381595732 g
- Calories 97 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
- Season the chuck roast liberally with salt + pepper all over.
- Heat a large dutch oven, over high heat. Add one tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onion, carrots and potatoes (if using) and cook, stirring once or twice until the veggies are just slightly browned on the edges, about 5 minutes. Do not leave the veggies in there too long, you don't want them to become soft. Remove the veggies to a plate.
- Add another drizzle of oil and once hot, add the chuck roast and sear all over, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the chuck roast from the pan.
- Carefully pour in the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits off the bottom. Remove from the heat.
- Add the meat back to the pan and cover with 2-3 cups of beef broth, the worcestershire sauce and the balsamic. Throw in the mushrooms + browned veggies, thyme, rosemary, cranberries + honey. If the liquid is not covering the meat at least half way, add more until it is.
- Cover the pan and place in the oven. Roast for 3-4 hours or until the roast is cooked to your liking. Serve over mashed potatoes or eggs noodles.
Traditional pot roast relies on heavy red wine reductions and tomato pastes to build depth, but adding fresh cranberries introduces a sharp fruit acid that cuts through the rich fat of a four-pound chuck roast entirely on its own. Standard beef stews often depend on flour or heavy starches to thicken the simmering liquid, yet this preparation achieves body purely through reduced broths, balsamic vinegar, and honey. Home cooks without a heavy cast-iron Dutch oven can safely substitute a roasting pan sealed tightly with two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil, provided the oven seal is airtight.
Adapting this dish for specific dietary needs requires minimal adjustment. The recipe contains no dairy, gluten, or nuts inherently, making it suitable for multiple common allergies without modification. Replace the red wine with an equal volume of low-sodium beef broth if alcohol must be avoided. Honey provides the necessary counter-balance to the tart fruit, but maple syrup functions as an identical 1:1 replacement.
Sear the beef over high heat for three to four minutes per side until a dark crust forms. Maintain a steady oven temperature of 275 degrees Fahrenheit for the duration of the three-to-four-hour braise. Deglaze the pan thoroughly with liquid while the metal remains hot to dissolve fond into the sauce.
