Beef Pot Roast

Cuts of beef that perform well for pot roasting go by many names –blade roast, cros-rib roast, and boneless chuck roast are all acceptable cuts for this traditional recipe.

1 tsp olive oil
1 (3lb) boneless chuck raost, trimmed
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 cups coarsely chopped onion
1 cup dry red wine
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (14oz) can fat-free, low sodium beef broth
1 bay leaf
4 thyme sprigs
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2inch pieces
Fresh thyme leaves
4 large carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1inch pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chuck roast with salt and pepper. Add roast to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove roast from pan. Add onion to pan; saute 8 minutes or until tender. Return browned roast to pan. Add the red wine, thyme sprigs, chopped garlic, beef broth and bay leaf to pan; bring to simmer. Cover pan and bake 350 degrees for 1 ½ hours or until roast is almost tender.

Add carrots and potatoes to pan. Cover and bake an additional 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf from pan; discard. Shred the meat with 2 forks. Serve roast with vegetable mixture and cooking liquid. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desired. Serves 8.