Picante Pot Roast

Classic pot roast gets a Tex-Mex wardrobe change. Instead of the usual beef broth and root vegetables, a 4-pound chuck roast slow-braises in picante sauce, tomato sauce, cumin and oregano with wedges of onion, green bell pepper and garlic cloves. The result shreds under a fork and tastes like a cross between barbacoa and Sunday roast.

Works in either a Dutch oven (a couple hours on low heat) or a crockpot (6 to 8 hours on low), so this is genuinely weekend-flexible. The long, slow cook breaks down the chuck’s tough connective tissue into silky gelatin that dissolves into the sauce, thickening it naturally as the meat cooks.

After pulling the meat out, bringing the strained sauce to a boil for 5 minutes concentrates the flavors and turns it into a proper gravy. Skimming the fat off the top keeps it from feeling greasy.

Kitchen Tips

• Sear the roast on all sides in the oil before adding other ingredients. That crust builds the savory base for the whole dish.
• Use a quality picante sauce (medium or hot, based on preference). Bland salsa gives bland pot roast.
• Let the roast rest 10 minutes before slicing or shredding. Juices redistribute instead of pouring onto the cutting board.
• Make it a day ahead if possible. Reheated pot roast is the best pot roast.

Variations

• Shred the meat and serve in warm tortillas with avocado and lime for instant tacos.
• Add a can of drained black or pinto beans to the sauce in the last hour.
• Serve over creamy polenta or cilantro-lime rice to catch the sauce.