Cooking Tips
Slow-Cooked Beef Pot Roast with Caramelized Onions & Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Fall-apart beef pot roast in rich brown gravy with caramelized onions, served over buttery, fluffy mashed potatoes.
By Steak House Diaries Editorial Desk | Published | Updated | 3 min read
This is the definition of comfort food: beef chuck cooked low and slow until it falls apart, in a savory gravy built from its own cooking liquid, with sweet caramelized onions on top and a mountain of buttery mashed potatoes underneath. It takes time, but almost all of it is hands-off — the pot does the work while the house fills with the smell of dinner.
Ingredients
For the slow-cooked beef: 1 kg beef chuck roast, cut into large pieces; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp unsalted butter; 2 large onions, thinly sliced; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 2 cups beef broth; 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 tsp paprika; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 tsp dried rosemary; ½ tsp black pepper; 1 tsp salt, or to taste; 2 bay leaves.
For the rich brown gravy: 2 tbsp butter; 2 tbsp all-purpose flour; 1 cup beef cooking liquid; ½ cup beef broth, if needed; 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce; ½ tsp garlic powder; ¼ tsp black pepper.
For the creamy mashed potatoes: 800 g potatoes, peeled and cubed; 4 tbsp unsalted butter; ½ cup warm milk; ¼ cup heavy cream; ½ tsp salt, or to taste; ¼ tsp black pepper; ½ tsp garlic powder.
For garnishing: 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped; extra caramelized onions; freshly cracked black pepper; extra warm beef gravy for drizzling.
Method
Season the beef pieces with salt, pepper and paprika. Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the beef in batches, 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply colored. Remove and set aside.
Lower the heat, melt the butter, and cook the sliced onions slowly for 12–15 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Stir in the tomato paste, then pour in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard, scraping up the browned bits from the base of the pot.
Return the beef to the pot with the thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Cover and cook on low for 2½–3 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and falling apart.
While the beef cooks, boil the potatoes in salted water for 15–18 minutes until tender. Drain, mash with the butter, warm milk and cream, then season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Lift the beef from the pot and keep warm. For the gravy, melt the butter in a pan, whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then gradually whisk in 1 cup of the beef cooking liquid (plus extra broth if needed), the Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and pepper. Simmer until thickened.
Shred or slice the beef, pile it over the mashed potatoes with the caramelized onions, and spoon over plenty of warm gravy. Finish with parsley and cracked black pepper.
Cooking Tips
Browning the beef properly is where the gravy's deep flavor comes from — do not skip it or crowd the pot.
Warm milk and cream make smoother mash; cold dairy cools the potatoes and leaves lumps.
If the gravy is thin, simmer it a little longer; if it is too thick, loosen it with a splash of beef broth.
Frequently asked questions
Can I cook the pot roast in a slow cooker?
Yes — brown the beef and onions first, then cook on low for 7–8 hours or high for 4–5 hours, until the beef shreds easily with a fork.
How do I keep the beef from drying out?
Keep the pot covered and the heat low so the beef braises in liquid the whole time; chuck roast needs that moist, slow heat to turn tender.