Unique Roast Beef Recipe

Classic roast beef is a dinnertime staple. While it might seem intimidating, the reality is that it's quite simple. We love this easy roast beef recipe from food blogger and recipe developer Erin Johnson, who shares her enthusiasm for a wide range of dishes on her blog, Probably in the Kitchen. "Few things are as comforting as a warm roast on a cold day, and this roast beef recipe makes a flavorful dish that is a perfect call back to my Sunday suppers growing up," Johnson reminisces. 

In terms of the cut of meat, this roast beef recipe specifically calls for chuck roast but according to Johnson, "Eye or shoulder roast would be a good sub," if chuck roast is not available—just something to keep in mind if you're at the butcher and they're slap outta chuck roast. Hey, it happens.

For this roast beef recipe, you'll need a large Dutch oven...and that's about it. This is a one-stop-shop, or pot, recipe so that's definitely a perk. We would recommend serving it alongside some mashed potatoes, for a hearty classic that you'll truly enjoy. Clearly, this roast beef is just meant to be dunked in a vat of potatoes, is it not? 

Read on for step-by-step instructions on creating this recipe in your own kitchen.

Assemble all your ingredients for the roast beef to make sure you've got it at your disposal when it's time to add it into the recipe. But before you start to measure, chop, and prep, go ahead and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. 

For this roast beef recipe you'll need two pounds of chuck roast, salt and pepper, five carrots chopped into two-inch pieces; two onions, halved then quartered; two stalks celery, chopped; four cloves garlic, minced; one tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; one tablespoon of fresh rosemary, one tablespoon of fresh thyme, two teaspoons of red wine vinegar, and three cups of beef stock.

A note about liquid usage in this roast beef recipe: "If you'd like to use wine, substitute one to two cups of the stock with red wine and eliminate the vinegar," Johnson suggests. Also, per Johnson, "stock or broth are interchangeable in this recipe."

The first step of this roast beef recipe is to sear the meat by itself in the Dutch oven over high heat. Salt and pepper the beef generously first, and then, sear it for four minutes per side. There should be a nice brown glaze on all sides when you're done with the searing. Be sure to watch the pan to avoid burning your steak. There's nothing like burnt bits of beef to bring a pot roast down. What we're looking for is a gentle sear that will truly meld with all of this dish's hearty flavors. 

Once the beef is finished searing, you'll remove it from the Dutch oven and set it aside. Next, add the carrots, onions, celery, and garlic to the pot. Stir and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot as you saute the vegetables and garlic for some extra flavor.

While the roast beef recipe doesn't require it, you can get creative in this step. Per Johnson, "For a twist, consider adding a can of whole plum tomatoes to the pot with the vegetables." If you need a tomato flavor in your life at all times, this is certainly something you should consider when stocking up at the store to make this divine meal.

Once you've sauteed the vegetables and garlic for a few minutes, and they've started to soften and smell downright amazing, it's time to add  Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, and thyme to the pot. 

Toss the herbs and Worcestershire in and stir everything together for about three minutes. Then, you will slowly pour your vinegar and stock into the mix. Stirring in this addition will serve to deglaze the pot, so that all the browned bits from the bottom and any other food particles sticking to the Dutch oven will incorporate into the liquid. 

Now, it's time for the beef you seared earlier to make a comeback. After you've finished deglazing the pot with the stock and vinegar, put the beef back in, nestling it in the middle amongst all the veggies. As you place it in, be sure to press it down and move the vegetables to ensure the beef is in the stock liquid about halfway, as demonstrated by this lovely photo, courtesy of Johnson. 

Cover the Dutch oven with a lid. The hard part is pretty much done now, unless you haven't started on the potatoes yet. If that's the case, you've got your work cut out for you.

Once that Dutch oven has been sealed with a lid, it's time for the soon-to-be-roasted beef to go in the oven. The beef should roast at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for the first hour. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees and roast it for an additional hour. 

If your slab of meat is heavier than two pounds, you're going to want to add 45 minutes of cook time per pound. Look, if you want to commit to a heftier portion of meat, you've got to be prepared to put in the time — but the results will be worth it, and who doesn't love roast beef leftovers?

Remove the beef from the pot and serve it over the vegetables, along with some mashed potatoes, and perhaps, a little spoonful of that juice it's been cooking in drizzled over the top.