Directions

Season the chuck roast with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat, then add 1 Tbsp oil to the skillet and sear over medium heat. When the first side of the roast is deep brown, carefully flip it. Scatter the onion around the meat and cook until the second side of the roast is brown. Deglaze the pan with beer (watch out for splashing and steaming!) and reduce liquid by half.

Add cocoa powder, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, thyme, oregano, and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 3-4 hours or until the meat is tender. Once tender, turn the heat off and allow the meat to rest for at least 1 hour prior to continuing.

(if slow cooking): Once the meat, onion, and beer has been added to the pan, remove from heat and put in a crock pot. Add cocoa powder, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, thyme, oregano, and chicken broth to the crock pot then cook on low for 4 hours or until the meat is tender. Allow to rest in the cooking liquid for 1 hour prior to continuing.

30 minutes prior to serving, melt butter in a small saucepan. Add the flour to make a roux and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Slowly ladle cooking liquid into roux, stirring well after each ladle to avoid lumps.

Once half of the cooking liquid has been added to the roux, pour the roux mixture into the pot roast pan and bring to a simmer for 10-15 minutes to thicken the sauce and reheat the pot roast.

In the unlikely event your pot roast doesn’t get gobbled up, store leftovers in the cooking liquid in an airtight container.