Pot roast. It’s a dish that conjures images of mom’s cooking, cozy Sunday dinners with family, and cold wintery weather.
In other words, it’s the perfect thing to make for dinner right now, whether you’re looking for an easy Christmas meal or just a big vat of deliciousness for lunch or dinner any time this holiday week. My usual pot roast recipe is pretty traditional, involving red wine, herbs, and tomatoes. Today, though, I’m sharing a new “Asian Pot Roast” recipe, using many of the flavors from my own childhood.
What Makes This Pot Roast Asian?
This Asian pot roast shares a lot in common with the versions you’re probably familiar with. A thick, boneless chuck roast is first seared in a pan, and beef stock is added for braising. Instead of red wine, however, I used Shaoxing wine (you can also use a different rice wine or dry sherry if you can’t find Shaoxing wine).
The addition of ginger, scallions, and soy sauce give it an additional hint of “Asian” flavor, though the effect isn’t at all overpowering. In fact, I find that what the soy sauce does is add an extra layer of umami––rather than making the overall dish taste Chinese. Make it, and you’ll see what I mean.
Obligatory in my mind, however, is that this Asian pot roast be served over rice. You could serve it with potatoes or egg noodles, but me being me, rice is my starchy vehicle of choice.
The whole Asian pot roast idea was a huge hit in my house, and with my parents’ friends, when they made it for a dinner party recently. Give it a try, and let us know what you think of this twist in the comments!
Asian Pot Roast: Recipe Instructions
Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Heat the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the roast and sear for 5 minutes on each side, until browned.
Add the ginger and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the onions, garlic, beef stock, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar.
Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
After an hour and 30 minutes has elapsed, stir in the carrots, cover, and simmer for another hour.
Uncover, and stir in the scallions and cornstarch mixture.
Continue to simmer, stirring gently, until the sauce has thickened and the scallions have wilted (about 2-3 minutes).
Serve your Asian Pot Roast with rice or mashed potatoes!
Asian Pot Roast: A New Take on a Classic Sunday Dinner
Ingredients
- 4 pounds boneless beef chuck roast (1.8 kg)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 3 slices ginger (mashed)
- 2 medium onions (thinly sliced)
- 5 cloves garlic (peeled and smashed)
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1/3 cup shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 5 medium carrots
- 3 scallions (cut into 2-inch lengths)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (dissolved into ¼ cup water)
Instructions
- Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Heat the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the roast and sear for 5 minutes on each side, until browned.
- Add the ginger and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add the onions, garlic, beef stock, wine, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- After an hour and 30 minutes has elapsed, stir in the carrots, cover, and simmer for another hour. Uncover, and stir in the scallions and cornstarch mixture. Continue to simmer, stirring gently, until the sauce has thickened and the scallions have wilted (about 2-3 minutes). Serve!
nutrition facts
We love this recipe! I’ve made this several times already and it’s delicious. My daughter has various food allergies and this is a new staple that we can all eat.
Thank you Anne! So glad this is a recipe your daughter can enjoy as well.
I tried this recipe last week with some white rice and my family loved it. The recipe was easy to follow. I will be using this recipe for pot roast from now on as it is the best pot roast recipe that I have tried.
Thank you so much, Jessica! This is a family favorite on special occasions for us too. :)
I tried this because it looked so good. I did find that it took a about an hour longer to than the recipe said (might have been my cut of chuck roast or because I also threw mini potatoes in when I tossed the carrots in), but it was totally worth it! I loved the recipe! I did have to sub “regular” soy sauce for dark soy – but I loved the umami taste and the way this roast just fell apart.
Glad you like it, Anya! Definitely make sure the roast is mostly submerged in liquid as it cooks to cook it faster!