Sunday Pot Roast

This is the one. The one the kids have opinions about. The one Jonathon eats standing over the pot before it's even plated. Make it on a Sunday when you have time to let it do its thing.

Ingredients

• 3–4 lb chuck roast
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 3 carrots, cut into chunks
• 3 celery stalks, cut into chunks
• 3–4 Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup red wine (use something you'd actually drink)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf

Instructions

1. Season the roast generously. Pat the chuck roast dry and season all sides liberally with salt and pepper. Don't be shy. This is the foundation.

2. Sear it. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the roast on all sides until deeply browned — about 4 minutes per side. Don't rush this. The crust is everything.

3. Build the base. Remove the roast. In the same pot, cook the onion and garlic for 2–3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook another minute.

4. Deglaze. Pour in the wine and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom. Let it reduce by half, then add the broth.

5. Low and slow. Nestle the roast back in. Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf. The liquid should come about halfway up the roast.

Cover and cook at 325°F for 3.5 to 4 hours, until the meat is fork-tender and falling apart.

6. Rest and serve. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. Pull the meat apart with two forks. Serve with the vegetables and plenty of the braising liquid spooned over the top.

Notes

• Chuck roast only. Don't substitute.
• If you skip the wine, use extra broth — but the wine matters.
• Leftovers (if there are any) reheat beautifully the next day.
• The girls will pick out the celery. This is fine. Let them have it.