Pot roast is a braised beef dish,typically made by browning a roast-sized piece of beef in order to induce a Maillard reaction, then slow-cooking in or over liquid in a covered dish. Tougher cuts such as chuck steak, boneless chuck roast, and 7-bone pot roast are popularly cooked using this technique; while the toughness of their fibers makes them unsuitable for oven roasting, slow cooking tenderizes them, while the liquid exchanges its flavor with that of the beef.
The result is tender, succulent meat and a rich liquid that lends itself to gravy. In North America, where it is also known as "Yankee pot roast", pot roast is often served with vegetables such as carrots, potatoes and sometimes onions simmered in the cooking liquid.