For Better Pot Roast, You Need To Sous Vide Your Beef

There's something undeniably cozy about a pot roast slowly braising in a hot oven. That being said, an oven-cooked pot roast holds a lot of room for error, leading to potentially dry and tough beef. One method can control the outcome of your perfectly tender roast, and yes, it involves dunking your vacuum-sealed beef into a hot water bath.

Sous vide, a method used for preparing everything from duck to cheesecake, is lauded for its precision. Heating food in water at a well-regulated temperature can yield an evenly cooked steak, delicately flaked salmon — the list goes on. Sous vide appliances maintain a constant temperature, protecting food from overcooking while keeping proteins tender as they baste in their juices.

While a pot roast might braise at 300 degrees Fahrenheit in an oven, sous vide temperatures often fall well below 200 degrees Fahrenheit, employing a gentler method that requires more cooking time. We promise — it's well worth it.

Unlike a grill or pan, the sous vide method will not brown or crisp the exterior of your meat. There's an easy workaround for that: Briefly sear your seasoned roast over high heat in a large skillet. Then, let your roast cool and vacuum seal it.

You can seal your roast with spices and herbs to amp things up. Try adding some sprigs of thyme, stalks of rosemary, and a sprinkling of smoked paprika. Seal your meat and aromatics in a BPA-free sous vide bag — they're generally safer for heating and cooking.

The cooking time and temperature can vary, depending on the size of your roast and your personal preference. For instance, you can cook your roast sous vide for a full 24 hours — or even longer — at temperatures ranging from 130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, if you're looking for a medium cut of meat. Some recipes, however, recommend slightly higher temps and even longer cooking times for an even more tender sous vide pot roast that will fall apart on your plate.

As you would with any cut of meat, allow your roast to rest for several minutes before cutting into it to maintain its juices. Serve with carrots, potatoes, or turnips — oh, and you can sous vide those guys, too.