Sunday Pot Roast

Ingredients

• For the Roast:
• 3-4 lb beef chuck roast
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 3 cups beef broth
• 1 cup red wine (or additional beef broth)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• For the Vegetables:
• 6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 3 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 lb pearl onions or 2 medium onions, quartered
• For the Gravy (Optional):
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Cooking liquid from the pot

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Pat the beef roast dry with paper towels and season generously all over with salt, pepper, and paprika.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, sear the roast on all sides until deeply browned, about 3-4 minutes per side. This creates flavor through caramelization.
3. Remove the roast and set aside. In the same pot, add the quartered onion and smashed garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
4. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
5. Add the beef broth, bay leaves, and thyme. Return the roast to the pot. The liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the meat.
6. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the preheated oven. Cook for 2 hours without opening the lid.
7. After 2 hours, carefully remove the pot from the oven. Add the carrots, potatoes, celery, and pearl onions around the roast, nestling them into the liquid.
8. Return the covered pot to the oven and cook for another 1 hour, or until the meat is fork-tender and the vegetables are soft.
9. Remove the pot from the oven. Transfer the roast and vegetables to a serving platter and tent with foil to keep warm.
10. For gravy: Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup. In a saucepan, melt butter and whisk in flour. Cook for 1 minute, then gradually whisk in 2-3 cups of the strained liquid. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.
11. Slice the roast against the grain and serve with the vegetables and gravy.