Active Time
15 min
Total Time
2 3/4 hr
Boeuf à la Mode
This old-fashioned pot roast recipe was given to food editor Ruth Cousineau by her late mother-in-law, Mary Cousineau, who learned it from her own French-Canadian mother-in-law. Ruth has substituted allspice for the more difficult-to-find quatre épices, which Mary used to flavor the meat. Like any pot roast, this one tastes even better made ahead and reheated. Drizzle the pan juices over steamed potatoes or serve the sliced meat over noodles.
Ingredients
Makes 8 servings
Special Equipment
Preparation
Step 1
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
Step 2
Pat meat dry. Stir together allspice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl and rub all over meat.
Step 3
Spread half of onions and half of garlic in a 13- by 9-inch roasting pan and arrange meat on top. Spread remaining onions and garlic over meat. Tightly cover pan with foil and roast, turning meat over after 1 hour, until meat is very tender, about 2 1/2 hours total.
Step 4
Skim fat from pan juices. Slice meat across the grain and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with onions and pan juices.
Beef can be braised 2 days ahead. Cool meat in juices, uncovered, then slice and chill in juices, covered. Reheat, covered, in a 350°F oven 30 to 40 minutes.
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Reviews (103)
Back to TopDisappointed, and I rarely have a "miss" when a recipe is top rated on Epicurious. I just received my Le Creuset dutch oven in the mail, so I was excited to make this recipe in it. Probably a mistake. I think too many of the juices snuck out with just the lid on, I should have read the recipe and tightly covered with foil. Just seems dry and tough, but I put it on the stove and cooked it down with some marsala wine and I think it's saved. Another note: I LOVE salt, and I agree with other reviewers. Too salty, even for this salt lover! I would recommend a scant, if any, salt add. The meat has enough salt and always the option to season after it's done. I'll try to make this again... this time not in my new Le Creuset!
emilyaelmore
Edina, MN
10/16/2018
This was an easy recipe to make especially for dinner guests. I used grass fed beef chuck roast and followed the recipe as written. When it finished roasting, parts were dried out. I think it needs to be turned more often while roasting. I turned the dry part into the juices while it rested. I didn't care for this recipe. The seasoning was bland. There was so much grease and fat that even after I removed much it, it was still a greasy dish. Overall, it was an unappetizing dish to look at and I debated about even serving it. I was pleasantly surprised when my guests enjoyed it and even had second and third helpings. They said the meat was tender and it was comfort food for the winter. I didn't care for the blandness and the grease but I'll give a better rating because of the ease of preparation and my guests liking it.
bikap
1/10/2018
This is one of the easiest and most delicious dishes I have ever made -- absolute comfort food which also impresses company. I now use boneless short ribs instead of the chuck roast, and it works beautifully.
cbernard4
New York, New York
10/29/2016
Hands down, one of the easiest and tastiest dishes I've ever made. For about 5 minutes of prep work, you will be rewarded with a deeply satisfying, rustic meal. Love this recipe
lpronen
Hudson Valley, NY
2/23/2016
Oh my was it delicious! Glad theres a little leftovers for tomorrow. Followed recipe to a t and i love it! Thanks!
chrystakz01
new castle de
1/13/2016
So perfect for a chilly winter evening! If you have leftovers, you can make a great hash. I used 1/2" diced fingerlings (equal to amount of beef left), browned them over medium-high heat in nonstick pan in olive oil. With the leftover onions, I added 1 tsp Dijon mustard and 2T heavy cream and simmered over low while potatoes cooked. When potatoes are brown, add shredded leftover beef and onion/cream mixture. If you like sunny-side up eggs, you can crack eggs (about 1/4" apart) over the mixture, reduce heat to low, cover it, and cook until eggs are set.
PNW_Cook
South Puget Sound
2/19/2014
I made this for my family. I made my own quatres epices (2 Tbl white pepper, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground cloves and 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg) instead of allspice to be more Frenchy. Of course did not use all of the spice mixture. I agree you have to be careful with the salt, and like salty food. I used a heavy lid and foil, and baked for 3 hours. The last 45 minutes I put several large whole carrots on top. Don't mix the carrots in. The simplicity of the carrot with richness of the dish is amazing. I served with mashed potatoes. Yum, yum yum!
carmenbryson
Austin, TX
2/16/2014
Did this recipe exactly as described (FYI-two large onions will give you what you need). My food snob husband and I decided to give this recipe a try on a lazy Saturday night, and it did not disappoint. For the effort, it was incredible! Tender, flavorful, fall apart braised beef. Keep the meat sealed tight so you don't loose the juices.
fwamays
Seoul, SK
2/8/2014
Delicious. We have made this many times for dinner. This year I decided to include in a Christmas Eve buffet. It was great. I used 7 lbs of good chuck and increased the ingredients accordingly. The guests gobbled it up. Thanks for a great recipe.
MamaBazork
Glen Arm, MD
12/26/2013
Really, really good! The first time I made this I salted and seared then rubbed. It was very good, but we noticed when we re-heated as leftovers it was too salty. So I omitted the pre-salt and still seared then rubbed. The second time was less salty, but watch how much you use in the rub (next time I plan on cutting the salt by 25%). Also, make sure you keep the foil tight. Don't worry: plenty of moisture w/o adding any.
NickBurnett
Somesville, ME
1/30/2013
I used the flavorings again with already-cooked beans and it was fantastic! VERY oniony. http://omnivorevegetarian.blogspot.com/2012/12/re-braised-pinto-and-cannellini-beans.html
The_Omnivore
NYC
12/6/2012
I actually did this in the slow cooker -- delicious flavors and no loss of liquids. I then kept the flavorings and made it with pinto beans for my vegetarian: superb! http://omnivorevegetarian.blogspot.com/2012/11/braised-pinto-beans-and-onions.html
The_Omnivore
NYC
12/3/2012
I Love this recipes, though prefer to drop the temp to 350 and increase the time. I now add half a cup of red wine at the mid-cooking time...and then make the gravy using another big slosh of red wine, pepper and beef stock. I purée half the cooked onions and add to the gravy, saving the other half to dress meat as I serve. I serve with roasted new potatoes and carrot soup...this is a perfect winter meal!! I crave it!
raceyt
Vancouver, BC
12/2/2012
The recipe as it is written is 4 forks. I completed it and tasted it. It was delicious. Very simple. I used foil and the cover of my dutch oven. I served it with noodles. Next time I will experiment with Vidalia or some other sweet onion. I may attempt it with the slow cooker.
stevecooks
Santa Rosa, CA (& New England)
7/24/2012
This was extremely easy and extremely flavorful ... but ... when I checked the roast in the oven it looked like there was plenty of liquid left. When I removed it from the oven I realized that most of the liquid was fat, and very little broth. Even trying to take out most of the fat it ended up tasting greasy. The flavors were excellent, but the greasy feeling wasn't pleasant.
Anonymous
Santa Rosa, CA
4/23/2012
