The One Ingredient Your Pot Roast Is Missing (It’s in Your Pantry)

Come winter, I’m ready for soups, stews, and cozy braises. In fact, that’s my preferred way to start the new year. Growing up, my mom or grandma would make a pot roast for New Year’s Day, and I’ve continued that tradition.

This year, I was away most of the day and decided to try a pressure cooker pot roast recipe to speed things up (though you can certainly cook it low and slow in the oven). While I typically make a traditional pot roast and rely on red wine, some bay leaves, and a seasoning blend to flavor it, I don’t always have a bottle of red on hand.

Luckily, this Instant Pot Pot Roast with Balsamic and Rosemary calls for something I always have in my pantry, balsamic vinegar. After trying it, I know I’ll make this version again and again.

Why Balsamic Vinegar Enhances a Pot Roast

You make this balsamic and rosemary pot roast as you would most braises. After drying and seasoning the meat, brown it in the pot, then sweat your onions and add in aromatics. At that point, the braising liquid is used to deglaze the pot before adding the meat back.

In this recipe, balsamic vinegar makes up one-quarter of the total braising liquid; the rest is beef broth or vegetable broth. Braising liquid creates the moist heat needed to help the collagen and connective tissue in the tough cuts of meat used in pot roast break down. Balsamic vinegar works especially well because vinegar is acidic. Acid helps break down the proteins in meat to tenderize it. That happens during the cooking process with a braise, but acid also works as a tenderizing agent in marinades.

Of course, the braising liquid is not only important to the actual cooking process, but it also greatly affects the taste of the meat. The braising liquid carries flavor from the aromatics added at the beginning of the cooking process and imparts it on the meat. The balsamic vinegar itself adds additional depth thanks to the mix of tanginess and sweetness.

That said, be warned: While it can be tempting to add more liquid to a pot roast, it’s important not to go overboard—too much liquid weakens the flavor of the braise. If you’d like to add balsamic to your preferred pot roast recipe, either swap it with the liquid you typically use or reduce the amount of the other liquid and use balsamic to make up the balance.

In this particular recipe, the balsamic vinegar is paired with fresh rosemary, which is one ingredient you shouldn't skip. If you don't have fresh rosemary on hand, you could substitute dried rosemary in a pinch. I recommend using a half-teaspoon dried rosemary in place of the two fresh sprigs the recipe calls for to create its perfect, deep flavor.