Bloody Mary Pot Roast is one of those oldie-but-goodie recipes that’s been in my recipe box for ages. The sauce is basically what’s used in a Bloody Mary. Of course, you’re not going to get tipsy and it’s perfectly fine for children! If there’s any concern about the wee bit of alcohol, I’ll show you how to substitute white wine vinegar for the Vodka.
This Bloody Mary Pot Roast is always a hit at our house; my daughter’s family loves it and my folks raved when I served it to them. I think you’ll like it too, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s easy, either! 
About Bloody Mary Pot Roast:
I have a few different Pot Roasts that I’ve made over the years, and this had stood the test of time. The roast itself is studded with garlic, then braised in a sauce that’s tomato based – and flavored with some of my favorite Bloody Mary ingredients.
You can follow my recipe as is, and I’m pretty sure you’ll love it, but if you want to depart a little, why not doctor it up with your own favorite Bloody Mary ingredients?
And I haven’t done this, and it will be more pricey than tomato or V-8 called for in the recipe, especially if you go out and buy it just for this – but a good Bloody Mary mix can stand in for the tomato or V-8 in the braising liquid. Now if you have Bloody Mary Mix on hand; maybe you didn’t finish the bottle – feel free to use any leftover Bloody Mary mix in this pot roast. Watch the heat level, though!
What to Serve with Your Pot Roast:
I typically serve this over mashed potatoes and usually serve with my Oven Roasted Root Vegetables, or my Glazed Carrots with Parsley Butter so I don’t usually cook any veggies in the same pan as the pot roast. If you want to change that up, feel free to add potatoes, carrots, celery, and so on to your pot about 1 hour before the roast is due to be done.
Another great option is to serve your Bloody Mary Pot Roast over a thicker pasta noodle; we love it with linguine or fettuccine, just not as much as we love it with mashed potatoes, lol!!
If you’re going to be serving with mashed potatoes, check out my Perfect Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or maybe my Best Company Mashed Potatoes. A budget-friendly option is Simple Rustic Mashed Potatoes – but do peel in this instance and mash a little finer.
The Cuts for the Best Pot Roast:
I grew up in the Midwest in an area renowned for beef (and pork, and corn!) so pot roast was often a staple Sunday dinner. Back in the day (and at my house) the goal was to have a fab dinner for Sunday, then rework any leftovers to serve later in the week.
The standard cut we looked for was a Chuck Roast. Why this cut? It’s relatively inexpensive, on sale regularly, and easy to find, but most of all it has great marbling (small lines of fat running throughout.) That makes for a tender, juicy and flavorful pot roast.
Other cuts that perform well are cuts from the arm, (Arm Roast) or the shoulder (Cross Roast) along with Seven Bone Roast, and Blade Roast. While cuts from the round are sometimes recommended, they can easily become dried out even when cooked in a braising liquid. They’re better suited to methods that cook until done to temperature and then sliced. Read more at the Tasting Table.
Making Bloody Mary Pot Roast:
I don’t know if I’ve ever made a simpler Pot Roast than this one! Place the roast in an oiled pan, salt and pepper it. Turn it over (so both sides will have oil on it) stab with a knife, then fill those slots with garlic. Add more salt and pepper. Toss it in the oven on a high heat to get some browning.
While that’s happening, mix up the braising liquid, toss it over the roast, cover and place back in the oven (you’ll lower the heat) for a couple of hours. Just open the pot now and then and baste the roast with that liquid. When finished, that liquid can be turned into a delish gravy by thickening it a bit with a cornstarch slurry. (Defat first if you wish.)
The only thing to watch for is to make sure your braising liquid comes up to about halfway up the roast. Add liquid if needed…and do watch that the liquid doesn’t reduce too much during the roasting. It’s not like a regular pot roast braised in a broth type liquid. I usually have to add a little water partway through. It would be a shame to ignore or forget this step and open the pot at the end and find a dry, burnt mess.
Storing and Reheating the Roast:
Pot roast of any kind will store, if handled properly, for four to five days in the fridge. The roast should be reheated gently; any fat running through the roast will harden when refrigerated. A slow reheat will soften things back up.
While I generally don’t freeze a cooked pot roast, if you do so, it will be best stored covered with the sauce (which might thin out a bit when reheated) to prevent excess drying of the meat. Thaw overnight in the fridge and again, reheat slowly
Best bets for reheating slowly: a gentle simmer in a saucepan or the defrost function of the microwave.
Saving Money on Bloody Mary Pot Roast:
- Chuck roast is readily available and goes on sale often. It freezes well, so stock up if there is a stellar sale (although you can expect one about once a quarter) and freeze. Watch also for great sales after any holiday where the fancier cuts are featured. After New year’s, after Valentine’s day, after Christmas, and so on, and in the fall when the market is inundated with freshly butchered cattle. During the summer, the same cuts that make great pot roast are often turned into ground beef; the sales will be sporadic and far between until fall comes around.
- Any condiments are at their lowest during the summer; it makes sense to stock up on any you use regularly for the year. If you miss those sales, you’re likely to find decent sales before the Superbowl.
- V-8 or Tomato juice are pantry ingredients that do go on sale regularly; the same strategy applies to them that applies to most pantry ingredients. Watch the sales, buy low and buy in enough quantity to last until the next great sale, which is likely to happen about 1x a quarter.
Bloody Mary Pot Roast
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 1/2 pounds chuck roast
- 2 fat cloves garlic, sliced
- salt & pepper (about 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper)
- 1 1/2 cups tomato juice or either spicy or basic V-8 vegetable juice
- 1 fat clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon Vodka, substitute 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 1 heaping tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 1 tablespoon prepared mustard (Dijon is best, others will do)
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup water (or more as needed)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Put oil in the bottom of a Dutch oven. Place roast in pan, salt and pepper it and turn it over. Poke numerous holes in the (now top) of the roast, enough to insert the slices of garlic, and fill holes with the garlic slices. Season well with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, uncovered until roast has picked up some browning on the top and pan has some browned juices.
While meat is roasting, stir together the braising liquid. Add the V-8 or tomato juice to a bowl. Stir in the minced garlic, Vodka, horseradish, mustard, Worcestershire, and celery salt. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more of this or that, to your taste. Add salt and pepper if desired.
Reduce heat to 350 degrees, pour braising liquid over meat. With a rubber spatula, stir in any browning from the bottom of the pan around the roast. While the depth of the liquid will vary with the size of the roast and the size of the pan, liquid should come halfway up the roast. If there is not enough liquid, add water.
Roast, covered, for about two and a half hours, or until roast is fork tender. Test in several places by jabbing a fork in (there should be little resistance) and turning. Baste several times with sauce and watch to make sure the liquid isn’t in danger of reducing too much or burning. Add water as needed. Remove meat to a platter and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Make sauce:
If the braising liquid is already reduced to a saucy consistency, defat and decide if it needs to be thinned with a bit of water or thickened with a cornstarch slurry. To make and use the slurry: dissolve cornstarch in the water. Bring the braising liquid to a simmer Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and allow to simmer two to three minutes. Either way, taste for seasoning. Serve meat with sauce.
Note:
- Vegetables like potatoes and/or carrots may be added during the last hour of cooking if you’d like to make this a one-pot meal.
- The braising liquid portion of the recipe was charged in 2023 to make more sauce and add more flavor..
Keywords: Alcohol, Bargain Meal of the Week, Beef, Bloody Mary, Chuck Roast, Freezes Well, horseradish, Pot Roast, Tomato Juice, Tomatoes, V-8, vodka
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You know I’ll be bringing this to our Throwback Thursday #31 Link Party, hosted by Quinn of Dad What’s for Dinner, Meaghan of 4 Sons are Us, Alli of Tornadough, Carlee from Cooking with Carlee and Moi! That’s right – me!
Click over to our Throwback Thursday post for links to their blogs and social media, rules and more info or just click on the blue leapfrog, below, to view all the Throwback Thursday Posts or enter your own!
Of course, I can’t miss bringing this to Fiesta Friday #112, hosted by Angie and cohosted this week by Natalie @ Kitchen, Uncorked and Hilda @ Along The Grapevine. Wow, 112 consecutive weeks!
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