Italian Pot Roast (Stracotto) – Best Fall-Apart Beef

Stracotto means "overcooked" in Italian, and in this case that is the highest compliment. Beef chuck sears until deeply browned, then braises low and slow in red wine, crushed tomatoes, and soffritto until a fork slides through it with no resistance at all.

Unlike a Sunday pot roast with gravy on the side, stracotto cooks down into a thick, glossy sauce that clings to every shred. Serve it over polenta, mashed potatoes, or pappardelle, and the sauce becomes the star of the plate.

This is the kind of dish that makes a Sunday feel intentional. It takes about 15 minutes of hands-on work, then the oven does everything else while your house fills with the smell of wine and rosemary.

About the Ingredients

3.5 lb (1.6 kg) beef chuck roast, tied with kitchen twine

Look for a roast with good marbling and even thickness so it cooks uniformly. If chuck is unavailable, boneless short ribs or a bottom round roast work, though short ribs will be richer and slightly fattier.

2 tbsp olive oil

Regular (not extra-virgin) olive oil handles the high sear heat better. Avocado oil is a fine neutral substitute if you prefer a higher smoke point.

1 large yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

Yellow onion gives the sweetest, deepest soffritto base. Shallots can replace it one-for-one if you want a more delicate flavor.

2 medium carrots, finely diced (about 1 cup)

Dice these small so they melt into the sauce rather than staying chunky. Parsnips are a sweeter swap if you are out of carrots.

2 celery stalks, finely diced (about 3/4 cup)

Use the inner, paler stalks for a milder taste. Fennel bulb is a good substitute and adds a subtle anise note that plays well with the wine.

4 garlic cloves, minced

Fresh garlic is essential here; jarred has a duller bite. If you only have garlic powder, use 1 teaspoon and add it with the tomato paste.

3 tbsp tomato paste

Buy the tube rather than the can so you can use exactly what you need. Sun-dried tomato paste is a richer, more intense substitute.

1 1/2 cups (360 ml) dry red wine, such as Chianti or Cabernet

Choose a wine you would actually drink; cooking wine tastes flat and salty. For alcohol-free, use 1 1/2 cups beef broth plus 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar.

1 can (28 oz / 794 g) crushed tomatoes

San Marzano-style tomatoes are sweeter and less acidic. If using whole tomatoes, crush them by hand for a more rustic texture.

2 cups (480 ml) low-sodium beef broth

Low-sodium lets you control the final seasoning. Chicken broth works in a pinch but gives a lighter, less beefy result.

2 sprigs fresh rosemary and 2 bay leaves

Tie the rosemary and bay in cheesecloth for easy removal. Dried rosemary is much stronger, so use just 1/2 teaspoon.

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste

Kosher salt seasons more evenly than table salt on a large roast. If using fine table salt, reduce to 1 teaspoon total.

Tips & Tricks

Dry the Roast Thoroughly

Pat the beef completely dry with paper towels before searing. Any surface moisture steams instead of browns, and you lose the fond that gives stracotto its depth.

Sear in a Hot, Wide Pan

Use a Dutch oven wide enough that the roast is not crowded. A cramped pan drops the temperature and the meat will gray rather than develop a crust.

Keep the Braise Gentle

Once it is in the oven, the liquid should barely bubble, never boil hard. If it is bubbling vigorously, drop the heat to 300°F (150°C) and check again in 20 minutes.

Cool Before Storing

Let the pot cool uncovered for 30 minutes before refrigerating. Sealing hot stew traps steam, which waters down the sauce and slows safe cooling.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Season and Sear the Beef

Pat the chuck completely dry and season all over with the kosher salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a wide Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers, about 2 minutes, then sear the roast 4 to 5 minutes per side until deeply golden brown on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

2. Build the Soffritto

Lower the heat to medium and add the onion, carrot, and celery to the same pot. Cook 7 to 8 minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent, not browned.

3. Bloom Garlic and Tomato Paste

Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook 90 seconds, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens to a brick red and smells sweet rather than raw. This step builds the sauce's backbone.

4. Deglaze with Wine

Pour in the red wine and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, scraping the bottom of the pot. Let it bubble 5 to 6 minutes until reduced by about half and the sharp alcohol smell is gone.

5. Add Tomatoes and Broth

Stir in the crushed tomatoes and beef broth, then nestle the rosemary and bay leaves into the liquid. Return the roast and any juices to the pot; the liquid should come about two-thirds up the meat, so add a splash of broth if needed.

6. Braise Low and Slow

Cover and transfer to a 325°F (165°C) oven. Braise 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours, turning the roast once at the halfway mark, until a fork twists easily with no resistance and the meat pulls apart into shreds. The sauce should be gently bubbling at the edges when you lift the lid.

7. Rest the Roast

Lift the roast out onto a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and rest 15 minutes. Fish out the rosemary and bay leaves and skim any obvious fat from the surface of the sauce.

8. Shred and Serve

Pull the beef apart with two forks, discarding the twine, and return it to the sauce. Simmer 5 minutes over medium-low heat until the sauce coats the meat, then taste and adjust salt. Serve over polenta, mashed potatoes, or pappardelle.

Delicious Variations

Tuscan Wine Version

Swap the Chianti for a bold Brunello or Barolo and add a Parmesan rind during the last hour for an intensely savory, restaurant-style sauce.

Slow Cooker Stracotto

Sear the beef and vegetables on the stovetop first, then transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on low 8 hours. Do not skip the sear; it is where most of the flavor lives.

Pappardelle Ragu Style

Shred the beef finely and toss it with the reduced sauce and wide ribbon pasta, thinning with pasta water for a true stracotto-as-ragu experience.

How to Store Italian Pot Roast (Stracotto)

Frequently Asked Questions

If you make this Italian pot roast, I would love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment below with what you served it over, and snap a photo of that glossy sauce for a five-star rating.

Italian Pot Roast (Stracotto)

Italian Pot Roast (Stracotto) braises beef chuck in red wine and tomatoes until it falls apart into a rich, spoonable sauce you'll want to mop up.

★★★★½ 4.8 (214 ratings)

15 minPrep time180 minCook time6Servings512 kcalCalories

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🧂 Ingredients

• 3.5 lb (1.6 kg) beef chuck roast, tied with kitchen twine
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 medium carrots, finely diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced (about 3/4 cup)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) dry red wine, such as Chianti or Cabernet
• 1 can (28 oz / 794 g) crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups (480 ml) low-sodium beef broth
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary and 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste

📋 Instructions

1. 1Season and Sear the Beef — Pat the chuck completely dry and season all over with the kosher salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a wide Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers, about 2 minutes, then sear the roast 4 to 5 minutes per side until deeply golden brown on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
2. 2Build the Soffritto — Lower the heat to medium and add the onion, carrot, and celery to the same pot. Cook 7 to 8 minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent, not browned.
3. 3Bloom Garlic and Tomato Paste — Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook 90 seconds, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens to a brick red and smells sweet rather than raw. This step builds the sauce's backbone.
4. 4Deglaze with Wine — Pour in the red wine and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, scraping the bottom of the pot. Let it bubble 5 to 6 minutes until reduced by about half and the sharp alcohol smell is gone.
5. 5Add Tomatoes and Broth — Stir in the crushed tomatoes and beef broth, then nestle the rosemary and bay leaves into the liquid. Return the roast and any juices to the pot; the liquid should come about two-thirds up the meat, so add a splash of broth if needed.
6. 6Braise Low and Slow — Cover and transfer to a 325°F (165°C) oven. Braise 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours, turning the roast once at the halfway mark, until a fork twists easily with no resistance and the meat pulls apart into shreds. The sauce should be gently bubbling at the edges when you lift the lid.
7. 7Rest the Roast — Lift the roast out onto a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and rest 15 minutes. Fish out the rosemary and bay leaves and skim any obvious fat from the surface of the sauce.
8. 8Shred and Serve — Pull the beef apart with two forks, discarding the twine, and return it to the sauce. Simmer 5 minutes over medium-low heat until the sauce coats the meat, then taste and adjust salt. Serve over polenta, mashed potatoes, or pappardelle.

👨‍🍳 Chef's Note: Stracotto rewards patience more than technique; if yours tastes flat, it almost always needs another 20 minutes of braising and a pinch more salt, not more wine.

Servings: 6

Cuisine: Italian

Course: Main Course

Nutrition (per serving): 512 kcal · 42g protein · 14g carbs · 29g fat