Beef Pot Roast with Carrots and Potatoes

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3 lb boneless beef chuck roast
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large (about 2 cups chopped) yellow onion
• 4 medium (2 for mirepoix, 2 for roasting carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 1.5 lb baby potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. 1Pat the chuck roast dry with paper towels. Season generously on all sides with kosher salt and black pepper.
2. 2Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the roast 4–5 minutes per side until deeply browned. Remove to a plate.
3. 3While the roast sears, dice the onion, carrots, and celery stalks into ½-inch pieces (mirepoix). Mince the garlic cloves.
4. 4Preheat oven to 325 °F. Add the mirepoix to the same pot and cook 6–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned.
5. 5Stir in the minced garlic, tomato paste, and flour. Cook 1–2 minutes until the flour is no longer raw.
6. 6Pour in beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Add the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
7. 7Return the seared roast to the pot, nestling it into the liquid (liquid should come halfway up the sides). Cover tightly and transfer to the oven. Braise for 2 hours.
8. 8After 2 hours, peel the remaining carrots and cut into 2-inch chunks. Halve or quarter the potatoes so pieces are similar in size. Add vegetables the roast, cover again, and cook 1–1.5 hours more until the meat is fork-tender and vegetables are soft.
9. 9Remove the pot from the oven. Transfer roast and vegetables to a platter and tent with foil. Discard thyme stems and bay leaves.
10. 10Place the Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium heat. Simmer the braising liquid 5–8 minutes to reduce slightly. For thicker gravy, mix flour with cold water to make a slurry and whisk in; simmer 2–3 minutes until thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
11. 11Slice or shred the roast against the grain. Serve in bowls with carrots, potatoes, and generous spoonfuls of gravy over the top.