Julia Child Pot Roast Recipe (Braised in Red Wine)

Julia Child Pot Roast (Boeuf en Daube à la Provençale) is a large cut of beef braised in red wine with tomatoes and Provençal seasonings until fork-tender. This is classic Sunday dinner cooking with French technique.

This recipe comes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2, pages 162-166. Julia called it “a splendid braising method, and one you can adapt to stews as well as pot roasts, and to duck, goose, lamb, livers, and hearts as well as to beef.” The meat marinates in wine, braises for hours, and emerges tender enough to cut with a fork.

I make this for Sunday dinners in winter. The house smells like a French farmhouse after hours of slow braising.

What is Pot Roast? A large, tough cut of beef braised low and slow with vegetables and liquid until completely tender. The braising liquid becomes the sauce.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Fall-apart tender. Hours of slow braising transforms tough meat into silk.
Built-in sauce. The braising liquid reduces into a rich, ready-made gravy.
Feeds a crowd. One roast serves 8-10 easily.
Better made ahead. Make it Saturday, serve it Sunday. The flavors deepen overnight.
Sunday dinner perfection. This is what you want on the table after church.

Julia Child Pot Roast Ingredients

From Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 2, Pages 162-166. Serves 8-10.

For the Beef:

6 lbs braising beef (chuck, round, or brisket), tied into a cylinder

For the Marinade (Optional but recommended):

1 bottle (4 cups) full-bodied red wine
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, halved
2 onions + 2 carrots, sliced
1 Tb salt
Herb bouquet: 2 bay leaves, 4 cloves, 6 peppercorns, ½ tsp each fennel, oregano, thyme, marjoram

For Braising:

4 Tb fat (pork fat, goose fat, or olive oil)
6 oz bacon, cut into lardons
⅓ cup flour
1½ cups beef stock
1 lb tomatoes, chopped
3-inch piece dried orange peel

Best cuts for pot roast:

Top round: Julia’s first choice. Solid meat, not fibrous.
Chuck: Most common, excellent flavor.
Brisket: Coarse-grained but delicious. Slice on the bias.
Shoulder: Takes longer but has great flavor.

How To Make Julia Child Pot Roast

Step 1: Marinate (Optional, 12+ hours)

Mix the marinade: Combine wine, vinegar, oil, garlic, vegetables, salt, and herbs in a large bowl.
Marinate the beef: Add beef, baste well. Liquid should come halfway up. Refrigerate 12 hours to several days, turning occasionally.
Drain and dry: Remove beef and pat completely dry. Strain marinade, reserve liquid and vegetables separately.

Step 2: Brown Everything

Cook the lardons: Brown bacon in a Dutch oven with the fat until lightly golden. Remove and reserve.
Brown the beef: Over high heat, brown the dried beef on all sides until deeply caramelized. This takes 10+ minutes. Remove beef.
Brown vegetables: Add marinade vegetables and brown 4-5 minutes.
Deglaze: Pour in marinade liquid, scrape up all browned bits.

Step 3: Make the Roux

Cook a brown roux: In a separate pan, melt 4 Tb reserved fat. Stir in flour. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly for 15 minutes until dark and nutty brown. Julia is firm: it must not burn.
Add to casserole: Off heat, whisk in hot stock. When smooth, stir roux into the casserole with the beef.

Step 4: Braise

Add remaining ingredients: Stir in tomatoes, orange peel, and reserved lardons. Liquid should come ⅔ up the beef. Add more stock if needed.
Braise in oven: Cover and place in lower third of 350°F oven. Braise 3½ to 4 hours, basting and turning occasionally. Done when a fork pierces easily, but meat doesn’t fall apart.

Step 5: Finish the Sauce

Remove beef: Transfer to a board. Cut strings, trim any loose bits.
Strain and skim: Pour braising liquid through a sieve. Skim all fat. Bring to simmer, taste, adjust seasoning.
Reduce if needed: You want 4-5 cups of rich sauce that coats a spoon. Boil down if too thin.
Serve: Slice beef, spoon sauce over. Garnish with parsley.

Recipe Tips

Dry the beef completely: Wet meat won’t brown. Paper towels, every surface.
Brown deeply: Don’t rush. Dark caramelization means deep flavor. 10+ minutes.
The roux takes 15 minutes: Julia insists on continuous stirring until dark nutty brown. This thickens the sauce and adds depth.
Allow 5 hours total: Julia’s advice for tough cuts. Better to have extra time than a tough roast.
Fork test for doneness: A fork should pierce easily, but meat shouldn’t fall apart. That’s overdone.
Skim the fat: Braising renders a lot of fat. Skim before serving or refrigerate and remove solidified fat.

Recipe Variations

Skip the Marinade: Short on time? Skip straight to browning. Add wine and aromatics directly to the braise. Less complex but still delicious.

Stuffed Pot Roast (Boeuf en Caisse): Hollow out the center of the beef before braising. Fill with onions, mushrooms, olives, and herbs. Impressive presentation.

With Root Vegetables: Add potatoes, parsnips, and turnips during the last hour of braising. One-pot meal.

What To Serve With Pot Roast

Julia suggests:

Little white turnips sautéed in butter
Glazed carrots and onions
Buttered peas or green beans
Potatoes or buttered noodles
Sautéed zucchini

The sauce is rich, so keep sides simple. You want things that soak up that beautiful gravy.

Wine: A full-bodied red. Burgundy, Côtes-du-Rhône, or Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Make-Ahead

Pot roast is the perfect make-ahead meal, Just Braise the roast completely, then cool in the sauce and refrigerate overnight. The fat rises and solidifies, making it easy to remove. The meat absorbs more flavor. The sauce becomes richer.

To serve, slice the cold roast (it’s easier to slice when cold), arrange in a baking dish, spoon sauce over, and reheat covered at 325°F for 30-40 minutes. The slices warm through beautifully without drying out.

How To Store

Refrigerator: Store beef and sauce together in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The solidified fat on top helps preserve it.

Freezer: Slice beef, pack with sauce, freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in fridge before reheating.

Reheat: In a 325°F oven, covered, for 30 minutes. Or warm gently on stovetop in the sauce. Add a splash of stock if sauce has thickened too much.

Leftovers: Cold pot roast makes excellent beef salad (Salade de Boeuf à la Parisienne). Or dice and add to hash.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1/10 of recipe):

Calories: 520 kcal
Protein: 48g
Total Fat: 28g
Saturated Fat: 10g
Carbohydrates: 12g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 4g
Sodium: 680mg
Cholesterol: 140mg

FAQs

What’s the best cut for pot roast?

Chuck is most common and has great flavor. Top round is Julia’s first choice because it’s solid with no separations. Brisket works but slice on the bias.

Do I have to marinate?

No. The marinade adds depth but you can skip it. Add the wine and aromatics directly to the braise.

Why make a roux?

The brown roux thickens the sauce and adds a nutty, deep flavor. It takes 15 minutes of stirring but it’s worth it.

How do I know when it’s done?

A fork pierces easily, but the meat doesn’t fall apart. That’s the sweet spot.

Why is my sauce thin?

Boil it down to reduce and concentrate. It should coat a spoon nicely.