FOLLOW 3 SIMPLE STEPS FOR PERFECT POT ROAST
The blueprint for the perfect pot roast couldn't be simpler: Buy the right cut of beef. Have a heavy pot in which you can sear the beef, and then simmer it covered. And plan your schedule enough to let the beef slowly cook in the oven. That’s it.
The roast should be chuck. Look for a roast that isn’t ensconced in fat. You expect some fat in chuck, but don’t buy a roast that is laden with it.
Use a large 5- to 6-quart heavy Dutch oven or casserole pan with a lid. Staub works, and so does Le Creuset. Place a little vegetable oil in the pan, and when it’s hot, add the beef and cook on each side until it sears. Turn on the exhaust fan because you want high heat and you want the beef to sear on each side. Once accomplished, remove the seared beef to a platter to rest, and turn off the heat.
You bake this pot roast at only 300°. You can even cook it longer and at 275° if your oven tends to run hot. It takes about 3 to 31⁄2 hours for a 4-pound pot roast to cook.