Braised Roast with Carrots and Onions with Brown Gravy

The secret to an extremely tender roast is to braise the beef over low heat.  Purchase a roast with lots of marbling.  That will guarantee that your roast will be fork tender after braising.

2 - 2 1/2 lb. boneless chuck roast

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 T. olive oil

6 cups beef stock

1 large yellow onion, halved lengthwise and then cut into quarters

3 cloves of garlic

1 bay leaf

4 - 5 carrots, ends trimmed, halved and cut into 3 - 4" long pieces

Rinse roast and pat dry with paper towels.  Liberally salt and pepper roast.

In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over high heat.  When oil shimmers, place roast into the Dutch oven and sear the roast on all sides.

Add beef stock, onions, garlic and bay leaf.  When stock comes to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer.  Partially cover the roast and let it simmer for several hours, turning the roast over every 30- 45 minutes or so.

I usually let my roast simmer for 3 - 4 hours.  Larger roasts will need to cook longer, of course.  Add the carrots about 30 minutes before serving.  You will want these to cook just until they are fork tender.

I like to be able to pull the roast into pieces to place on a serving platter instead of slicing the roast.  If you prefer slices, remove from stock when you reach your desired level of doneness.

Place on a serving platter and arrange the carrots and onions with the roast.  Discard bay leaf.

Now to make the gravy:

In a medium saucepan, add 4 T. of the fat from the top of the liquid in which the roast cooked.  Add 4 T. self-rising flour.  Place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, cook for 2 - 3 minutes until flour begins to brown.  Slowly add 4 cups of the broth to the roux, stirring constantly while the gravy thickens. 

Reduce heat to low and continue stirring to remove any lumps.  Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.