Pot roast is an American dish usually based on a tougher cut of beef that is seared in a pan and simmered in stock or its own juices. In America, the dish is also known as Yankee pot roast, referring to the fact that it's most often prepared in New England.
In a Yankee pot roast, vegetables such as carrots, onions, and potatoes are simmered together with the braised beef. The dish is basically an American variation of the French dish boeuf รก la mode, brought over to New Hampshire and Maine by French immigrants.