For The Most Flavorful Pot Roast, Give It The Italian Treatment

Many Americans treasure the memory of wonderful aromas filling the kitchen before a mouthwatering Sunday pot roast was served. But as we age, we often realize that nostalgia influences how we remember food tasting. That old recipe passed down through generations might include some pot roast mistakes that could use some tweaking. One way to make pot roast more flavorful is to take a page from the old country.

Stracotto (which means "overcooked") is an Italian-style pot roast where, instead of sticking the meat in the oven it's cooked on the stovetop, which makes it less of a roast and more of a braised dish. Like the American version, it isn't fare that can be made on the fly. It takes hours of simmering (generally at least four hours) for the flavors to develop and the meat to become fall-apart tender.

Meat and veggies are still the heroes of the dish. However, stracotto typically calls for a generous application of basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme to give those stars a bit more character. The vegetables usually consist of the holy culinary trio — onions, celery, and carrots — as well as tomatoes.

Red wine is a must for the braising liquid. Beef broth is also included, yet whereas many American-style pot roast recipes lean heavily on broth (and occasionally recommend wine as an optional addition), stracotto's flavorful makeup is dependent on the profile of the Italian red wine (such as Primitivo, Sangiovese, or Chianti) seeping into the food over many hours. After the food is cooked, the wine and broth become a savory sauce meant to be drizzled over the meat and veggies.

With stracotto, folks may be inclined to focus on buying the best cut of beef to level up the pot roast, but it really shouldn't be a primary concern. The difference between cooking a chuck roast and a top round is going to be negligible because the low and slow cook will make either cut tender. A better way to enhance the dish is to focus on ancillary ingredients that will add depth to the overall profile. For example, introducing leeks to the rest of the vegetables can impart some sweetness, and substituting shallots for the onions will have a similar effect.

Pouring a couple teaspoons of balsamic vinegar into the braising liquid will contribute sweet and sour elements, and if you want it to have a little heat adding red pepper flakes will spice it up a touch. To boost the savory nature of the dish like a true Italian, cook in some pancetta. Not only will the fatty meat impart umami to everything around it, you'll also end up with a crispy contrast to the tender beef and vegetables.

Italian-style pot roast is often served over a bed of polenta, but it's not a hard-set rule. A foundation of mashed potatoes or egg noodles would likewise make a terrific pedestal for the meat and vegetables. Of course, you can always just serve stracotto as is and let the flavorful essence of the dish speak for itself.