For Savory Pot Roast, Cook It In This Popular Wine

If you're a regular Tasting Table reader, you know what a game-changer cooking with wine can be. You'll probably also be familiar with the most vexed questions surrounding it: Should you cook with cheap or expensive wine? When should you add it? And precisely what kind of wine should you use to achieve the most delectably savory pot roast? Fortunately, the last of these has a simple, full-bodied answer, courtesy of Dagan Lynn, executive chef for "Beef. It's What's For Dinner."

Speaking exclusively to Tasting Table, Lynn was asked which full-bodied wine he recommended for preparing a pot roast. "A Burgundy or other dry red wine is a great choice. This type of wine works especially well because it adds depth and richness without overpowering the natural beef flavor. The wine helps create a savory cooking liquid that complements the chuck roast, garlic and thyme," he said. 

As one might guess, Burgundy is wine that originates from the Burgundy region of France, best known for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It is the latter of these you will be using for a dry red wine, as Lynn recommended. He said this variety "adds subtle fruit, earthy and savory notes that deepen the flavor of the beef and create a richer, more complex braising liquid as it cooks."

Dagan Lynn is far from alone in recommending Burgundy when cooking with beef — it is the dry red wine considered de rigueur when preparing boeuf Bourguignon — the classic French stew that bears much in common with a traditional American pot roast. When asked if he had any further tips for making pot roast as delicious as possible, Dagan Lynn advised you to brown the roast first. 

"For the best flavor, brown the roast before adding the wine and broth, then allow it to simmer low and slow so the wine fully integrates with the beef and seasonings while the roast becomes fork-tender," he said. Tasting Table fully agrees, as the deep layer of flavor it imbues is the real reason you should brown meat for pot roast. If you're inspired by Lynn's advice and feeling creative, be sure to check out other additional ingredients to upgrade your pot roast. 

You may also want to be on the safe side and pick up multiple bottles of Burgundy in preparation, as wine-braised pot roast recipes can call for anything from 2 cups to the a whole bottle. It'd be a crime if you were left with nothing appropriate to drink with your pot roast once it was time to eat.