Pot Roast in Barbecue Sauce

This pot roast skips the usual gravy route and goes full barbecue. A 5-pound beef chuck arm roast gets a hard sear, then braises low and slow in a sauce built from ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire, and mustard. The result? Meat so tender it practically falls apart, coated in a thick, tangy-sweet sauce that hits every note.

The vinegar and mustard cut through the richness of the beef, keeping the sauce from going one-dimensional. Browning the roast first in lard (yes, lard) builds a deep, savory crust that holds up during hours of simmering. You’ll want to turn the meat once halfway through so both sides soak up that sauce evenly.

Once it’s done, skim the fat from the sauce, slice against the grain, and serve that sauce on the side so everyone can pour as much as they want.

Kitchen Tips

• Sear the roast until truly dark brown on all sides. That crust is where a huge amount of flavor lives.
• If you don’t have lard, use vegetable oil or beef tallow. Butter burns too fast at high heat.
• The ketchup-chili sauce swap changes the flavor profile: chili sauce adds more spice and a chunkier texture.
• Let the sliced meat rest in the sauce for 5 minutes before serving so it reabsorbs some of that liquid.

Variations

• Add 2 tablespoons of smoked paprika to the sauce for a deeper, smokier barbecue flavor.
• Swap the brown sugar for maple syrup for a richer sweetness.
• Toss in sliced bell peppers and onion wedges during the last hour of cooking for a one-pot meal.