Pot Roast Vs Beef Stew: What's The Difference?

Pot roast and beef stew are two similar dishes whose recipes often call for searing the meat before slow-cooking. After that, the differences start to show.

A great beef stew starts with a cut of beef, which is usually chuck roast but may also be bone-in short ribs, beef shank, neck, sirloin, brisket, round, or oxtail.

Many recipes suggest seasoning the beef with salt and pepper, searing it, and then cubing it. Vegetables are another key ingredient, which are added both at the beginning and end.

The best beef cuts for pot roast are also the tougher cuts, like chuck, brisket, and round roast. Presentation is one of the main factors that differentiates it from beef stew.

Instead of cubing and cooking the meat in broth, you slow-cook pot roast whole in a small amount of liquid along with vegetables, and you reserve the broth to use for gravy.

What really sets pot roast apart from the rest is braising, which marinates the seared meat in flavors in the contained environment you create while it's cooking.