The Best Type Of Beer To Give Pot Roast A Major Flavor Boost

A comfort food staple that could take you back to Sunday dinners spent at grandma's house, a big, beefy pot roast is sure to feed your soul as much as it does your belly. Traditionally, pot roast is a dish meant to be cooked low and slow for perfectly tender results. Of course, the ultimate melt-in-your-mouth texture is also made possible with the help of a good braising liquid. While you can opt for a basic broth or stock, beer may tenderize your beef to perfection and will give your pot roast a major flavor boost. But which is the best beer to choose from? 

To find the answer, we spoke with pot roast aficionado Kevin Chrisman, the executive chef at Golden Hour in Asheville, North Carolina, who reveals his choice of braising beer. "I prefer to use Guinness," Chrisman says. "It's an Irish beer, and they basically invented pot roast, so if it ain't broke, don't fix it!" We certainly can't argue with that. Indeed, you will find a similar sentiment expressed in our own German-style pot roast with beer gravy recipe.

While Guinness, perhaps the most famous stout out there, remains Kevin Chrisman's brew of choice when it comes to making a pot roast in particular, the chef notes that he generally likes to braise meat in a nice dark porter. "The roasted flavor of the beer will really add a depth of flavor to whatever you're braising," Chrisman says, "and once it's finished, it will surely impress whoever it is you're serving."

Of course, Chrisman notes that home cooks should stick to whichever beer they know they like the taste of, assuring that the beer "won't get any better than it already is." Still, we think that most meat lovers would agree that darker, more robust picks like stouts and porters are preferable for beef dishes, including pot roasts. Between their rich, malty flavors — which offer notes of chocolate, coffee, and even caramel — these darker beers are able to both stand up to and complement the savory flavors of red meat, all while adding a mouthwatering complexity to the final result. It's why we suggest adding a splash of full-bodied beer to brisket and beer-braising your short ribs for an extra punch of flavor.

Whether you use a stout or a porter, you will want to make sure that the other seasonings you incorporate are working to help balance the flavors in your dish. "Season with a little chili flake, lemon, and good olive oil," Chrisman instructs. Now that's a good pot roast.