The Japanese Staple That Makes Pot Roast Far More Interesting

Pot roast is a comfort food dish with a quality on the plate that far outweighs the skill or effort required to make it. A nice chuck roast — or one of the other best cuts of beef for pot roast — seared and simmered alongside a variety of starches and vegetables is simple to prepare and yields the kind of meal that both sticks to your ribs and drives the chill right out of your bones on a winter evening. While a basic recipe is certainly a delicious thing, there are also many single-ingredient additions that can really upgrade your pot roast. One of our favorites might fall outside of what you'd expect to find in your average U.S. pantry, but once you try it, you may be a lifelong convert. We are talking here about Japanese curry blocks.

These store-bought curry mixes are a shelf-stable shortcut to making Japanese curry rice, or kare raisu. Typically, this dish involves cubed meat such as beef or chicken alongside tender carrots and potatoes in a thick, rich gravy flavored with curry powder and other spices. In traditional recipes, the thickness of the gravy is achieved with a roux, but these cubes are an all-in-one offering. Just toss them in the pot with the meat, veggies, and water, and they dissolve into a thick gravy. Of course, they do the same thing when you add them to a pot roast, not only lending extra layers of complexity, but also giving the sauce a delightful unctuousness. You might not have a box of Golden Curry Sauce Mix in your pantry right now, but, well, you probably ought to.

As for other ways to add a touch of Japanese-inspired flair to your pot roast recipe, you have plenty of options. If you want to start small, you can just play with some liquid ingredients. A touch of soy sauce fits into just about any of the best pot roast recipes, adding both salt and a deep umami. For a more distinctly Asian aroma, a touch of sesame oil is the sort of addition you don't even really have to think about — you can even add it right at the end. Or consider using mirin, a sweet Japanese rice wine, as part of the cooking liquid.

Switching out the vegetables simmering alongside the beef can also completely change your pot roast. Adding some ginger to the mix will shift the flavor immediately, adding a pungent zing to your pot roast. Shiitake mushrooms, on the other hand, have a rich, meaty taste, with delicate earthy notes and a strong savory element. You can also use daikon in place of some of the root vegetables, it is a large, mild radish that is used in soups throughout a variety of Asian cuisines.

Finally, consider serving your Japanese-inspired pot roast with a starch that fits the cuisine. Especially if you choose to use Japanese curry blocks, it is only fitting to serve the meal over rice. But you could also try spooning it over a plate of thick, chewy udon noodles. Whether you choose to include one of these upgrades in your pot roast or all of them, the interesting new flair is certain to delight and intrigue.