Ina Garten’s Classic Pot Roast Recipe Is the Ultimate Barefoot Contessa Winter Comfort Food Dinner
Ina Garten has perfected a classic pot roast recipe by elevating it in her usual Barefoot Contessa style. Garten’s comfort food takes a little time but the end result is so worth it and it’s the perfect menu item when entertaining guests.
Ina Garten makes a classic pot roast with plenty of flavor
Garten demonstrated how to make the delicious comfort food recipe on an episode of Barefoot Contessa. “I’m making an old-fashioned classic, what I call company pot roast, with tomatoes and lots of red wine,” she explained.
She used a chuck roast so the final result turns out “moist and delicious,” and patted it dry before she seasoned it with salt and pepper. Garten then rolled it in a plate of flour, coating all sides of the meat.
Garten noted that a dutch oven is “the best pot you can use for a pot roast.” She heated olive oil in the pot, then added the beef, searing it for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. She removed the beef to a plate.
“What the searing is going to do is going to seal in the juices but it’s also going to make the sauce taste fantastic,” she explained.
The ‘Barefoot Contessa’ star creates a delicious sauce
Garten chopped celery, onions, carrots, and leeks, then got to work on the sauce. She added olive oil to the pan, explaining, “I’m going to sear all the vegetables, get them nice and browned and caramelized. It’s kind of like making soup — you always want to start with the vegetables and get them nice and browned.” She cooked the vegetables for 10 minutes, adding garlic and salt.
Garten gathered together a bundle of herbs and placed it in the pot, then added burgundy wine, cognac whole plum tomatoes, and chicken stock. The Barefoot Contessa star noted that the recipe is “easy enough for every day and delicious for company.”
She returned the beef to the pot, brought it to a simmer, then cooked it for 2 ½ hours in a 325 degree Fahrenheit oven “until it’s meltingly delicious.” Garten recommended reducing the heat to 250 degrees Fahrenheit after an hour to keep the sauce at a simmer.
Garten discarded the bundle of herbs and moved the beef to a cutting board. She skimmed the fat from the sauce and placed half of the sauce and vegetables in a blender, then pureed the sauce. She poured the puree into the pot and simmered it over low heat on the stovetop, adding a flour and butter mixture to thicken the sauce.
“Who wouldn’t want that for dinner?” Garten asked. “I would say this is pot roast good enough for company.”
The full recipe is available on the Food Network website.
Ina Garten’s pot roast recipe earns rave reviews
Garten’s pot roast recipe has earned a five-star rating on the Food Network website and it’s gotten some rave reviews in the comment section.
“The BEST pot roast recipe I’ve found in over 30 years of cooking. (I have tossed all of my other pot roast recipes!),” one person commented. “The complex flavors of the gravy are delicious. It’s a perfect recipe as is. Increase the cooking time if using a cheaper cut of beef. Makes plenty of leftover gravy for other meals.”
Another fan raved, “The best pot roast recipe I have ever tried and I’ve tried dozens! Everyone I make this for absolutely loves it. The recipe is perfect exactly as is.”
Others agreed, with comments like, “My go-to recipe for pot roast,” “Best pot roast I’ve ever made!,” and “It was unbelievable.”
