Pot Roast

Brown every surface before bagging - this is non-negotiable. Pot roast has minimal connective-tissue browning naturally, so all the flavor depth has to come from the sear. Use a heavy Dutch oven over high heat, render plenty of fat, and don't rush.

Bag the roast with the aromatics: onions, carrots, garlic, thyme, a bay leaf, a splash of red wine. Sous vide concentrates everything you put in the bag, so a little wine goes a long way. Skip the stock - the roast makes its own.

Cook at 155°–165°F for 24–36 h. Lower and you don't get full collagen breakdown; higher and the lean parts dry out. The 24-hour mark is when the texture transforms from sliceable to spoonable. Pull early for a Sunday roast feel, late for shreddy.

Save the bag liquid. After 30 h that's the most concentrated beef gravy on earth. Strain it, defat it, and reduce by a third in a saucepan. Whisk in a tablespoon of flour or starch slurry and you've got pan gravy with zero work.

Anti-tip: don't add potatoes to the bag. Potatoes turn to mush at 165°F over a long bath and release starch that clouds the jus. Cook them separately in their own bag at 190°F for 1 h, then combine on the plate.

Chuck roast is the traditional cut - well-marbled and flavorful

Sear before or after sous vide for deep flavor

Make gravy from cooking juices for authentic pot roast