Liberty Tree Tavern New England Pot Roast Recipe: Comfort Food at its Finest
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The Liberty Tree Tavern puts a colonial twist on comfort food in the heart of Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Their best dish is the New England pot roast. One bite is enough to make your taste buds sing. Tender beef smothered in savory gravy and served with sauteed veggies creates a dinner you won’t soon forget.
But a meal like that would probably take a lot of work to prepare at home, right?
Wrong! Our mouthwatering New England pot roast recipe brings the flavors from Liberty Tree Tavern straight to your own kitchen – no revolution necessary! All you have to do is brown some meat and stir some veggies, then let your oven do the rest.
It’s a dish George Washington himself would probably love (dentures notwithstanding). Now, without further ado, here’s the recipe!
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New England Pot Roast from the Liberty Tree Tavern
Indulge in the comforting flavors of New England Pot Roast, a delectable dish from Liberty Tree Tavern at Magic Kingdom. Tender beef, hearty veggies, and savory gravy unite in a culinary delight.
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 people 1x
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- Coarse salt (to taste)
- freshly ground pepper (to taste)
- 3 lb boneless beef shoulder roast
- ½ cup butter
- 2 cups large diced carrots
- 2 cups large sliced celery
- 2 cups large diced onion
- ¼ cup chopped garlic
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup burgundy wine
- 6 cups beef broth
Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy ovenproof pan.
- Salt and pepper the roast, then brown the meat on all sides. Do not let it scorch.
- Remove meat and add butter to pan.
- After butter has melted, add carrots, celery, onion, garlic and thyme.
- Sauté until vegetables are tender.
- Stir in flour and continue cooking until flour is lightly browned.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Stir in wine and broth.
- Return meat to pan.
- Cover and cook in the oven for 3 to 4 hours, checking every 30 minutes. The roast is done when meat is fork-tender.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American Cuisine
New England Pot Roast – A Taste of the Past
We know you came for the recipe, but while your meat is cooking, why don’t you stay and enjoy the tips, tricks, and fun facts we’ve whipped up?
New England pot roast, also called Yankee pot roast, has been a northeastern classic for over a century, though the method of braising the meat (slow cooking in liquid) is far older. While our Liberty Tree Tavern version calls for beef shoulder, other popular braising cuts include beef chuck and brisket. You can even skip the beef entirely and opt for lamb shank or pork shoulder. All of these meats are deliciously marbled with fat, and while the connective tissue would generally make for tough chewing, it all cooks down into fall-off-the-fork goodness when properly prepared – that is, with patience.
We love how this recipe not only connects us to our favorite Disney World comfort food but also to people of the past. With a centuries-old history, it’s fun to imagine folks throughout the ages sitting down to eat a New England pot roast beneath the golden glow of gaslight or clustered around the radio, listening to Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “fireside chats.”
Similarly, Walt’s goal for portions of his theme park, like Main Street, USA, and Frontierland, was to connect guests with American history – their heritage. With attractions like the Hall of Presidents and Tom Sawyer Island, Walt tapped into turn-of-the-century America in the most creative and engaging way possible, by creating an adventure.
That being said, the New England pot roast might actually be more at home in the EPCOT World Showcase because it’s really “an American variation of the French dish boeuf á la mode, brought over to New Hampshire and Maine by French immigrants.”1
Whether it’s classified as French or American, we love the Liberty Tree Tavern pot roast! And here’s how you can make it your own.
Tips, Tricks, & Variations
As mentioned earlier, it’s possible to swap out the cut of meat, if so desired. Just about any “tough cut” will do. We wouldn’t recommend using prime cuts like ribeyes, though – save those babies for the grill! Nevertheless, an old Yankee proverb says it best: “Whatever’s on hand is what works best.” That goes for the veggies and seasonings, too!
We’ve got celery, carrots, and onions for our New England pot roast recipe, but you can swap, subtract, and add as you please! Other popular veggie options include parsnips, turnips, and potatoes. These root vegetables are well within the spirit of the dish, as root veggies were the most readily available produce for ye olde New Englanders. Whatever combination you opt for, we would recommend leaving in the onions, as they impart a good deal of flavor into the braising liquid.
As for seasonings, the possibilities are endless. You can add rosemary, oregano, and/or a bay leaf for added layers of flavor, or you can even go full World Showcase and infuse flavors of Mexico and Italy into the dish. Tomatoes, chili peppers, and ground cumin bring a traditional South American bite to the table, while oregano, tomato paste, and fennel can exude the essence of Venice or Rome. You can even experiment with an Asian variation using soy sauce, oyster sauce, ginger, scallions, and a dash of sugar. If you try the Asian pot roast, that’d also be a great time to experiment with a cut of pork!
While you can serve your New England pot roast straight from the oven, you may want to consider plating it on a steaming hot bed of mashed potatoes. Rice and egg noodles also make a great “nest” for this juicy dish, as do tortilla chips or Mexican rice for the Mexican variation. A dollop of sour cream can really finish off the dish, whether you’ve chosen to incorporate Mexican or New England spices.
Lastly, the red wine can be substituted for a beer of your choice or left out entirely (replacing the difference with more beef stock).
With so many ways to craft this delicious and comforting dish, you may just want to eat it every day of the week!
Leftovers You’ll Actually Be Excited To Eat
New England pot roast is so yummy, there’s a good chance you won’t have any leftovers, but if you happen to be graced with extra meaty morsels, you’re in for a fantastic lunch the next day!
Simply store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge to preserve maximum freshness – and be sure to include the juices! Pot roast can be reheated in the microwave (giving it a flip every 10 – 15 seconds until warmed through) or, preferably, in the oven at 350 degrees until heated through (usually 20 to 30 minutes). If you go with the oven method, place the meat in a covered baking dish (or cover it with aluminum foil) and be sure to douse it in that savory juice, covering all of the slices.
If you’re low on juice, you can supplement with beef stock. This will keep your leftover New England pot roast from getting dried out. Be careful not to overcook the leftovers, removing them as soon as they’re heated through.
You can eat it just like that or use the meat to make a sandwich (open-faced or otherwise). Other options include baking the meat into a pot roast casserole with au gratin potatoes, tossing it into a stew, or even mixing it into a batch of chili. There’s no reason your New England pot roast leftovers can’t be just as spectacular as they were the night before! It’s the comfort food that keeps on giving.
We hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy indulging in flavors you only thought possible in the Magic Kingdom. Bon appétit!
Have you tried the New England pot roast at Liberty Tree Tavern in the Magic Kingdom? We think it’s absolutely delish, but what about you?
Have you tried making it at home? Did you stick to the recipe, or did you go wild with new flavors? We’d love to hear about your own tips, tricks, and variations in the comments below!
And if there’s another dish you’d like to see at your own kitchen table, let us know – we’d love to provide you with more comforting copycat recipes!
Featured photo: MouseEars TV Creative Team
