The Boozy Ingredients Ina Garten Adds To Her Iconic Pot Roast

Ina Garten is no stranger to boozy recipes (remember that humongous Cosmo she mixed during the 2020 quarantine?). When she's not shaking things up for cocktail hour, Garten sometimes incorporates alcohol into her food recipes, too. Classic pot roast requires a braising liquid and Garten's version contains two types of alcohol.

In her Company Pot Roast recipe, the Barefoot Contessa uses 2 cups of red wine and a couple of tablespoons of Cognac or brandy. She sears the meat, then boils the alcohol, vegetables, and aromatics in the braising liquid on the stovetop, before re-adding the beef to the pot and putting it in the oven for around 2 ½ hours or until the meat is tender. But the alcohol's job isn't done yet — once the meat and veggies are removed for serving, Garten suggests you turn that gorgeous, residual liquid into a flavorful sauce. Most, if not all, of the alcohol will have evaporated by this point, so you're left with the concentrated flavor of the wine and Cognac, plus the meat juices. Garten makes a gravy by combining the liquid with some butter and flour and serves the sauce with the pot roast.

Her beef bourguignon also includes alcohol, calling for a hefty ½ cup of Cognac plus a whole bottle of red wine. Meanwhile, her recipe for Parker's Beef Stew is also generously boozed up with a full bottle of red.

When it comes to dessert, Ina Garten doesn't mind adding a tipple to her sweet dishes, either. She likes bourbon in her chocolate pecan pie, honey cake, and applesauce cake. But, despite the age restrictions on bottles of alcohol, boozy baked goods generally won't get you drunk. That's not the point of adding alcohol to your recipes. Instead, using wine or liquor in your cooking helps to improve flavor.

Aromas and flavors are sometimes enhanced and deepened when wine, beer, or spirits are used instead of water. This works particularly well in dishes like pot roast, as the deep, round flavors of the alcohol mix with the caramelized flavor of the browned beef. For those who don't or can't consume alcohol, however, there are plenty of alternatives. Try using stock or bone broth, meat juices, or flavored vinegar to imitate white wine. For baking or sweet recipes, try extracts. For instance, Garten's ultimate pumpkin pie recipe calls for whipped cream made with dark rum, but you could easily use vanilla extract instead for a delicious substitute.