Pot Roast - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (4 lb.) boneless chuck pot roast, neatly tied
salt and ground pepper
1 c. finely chopped onions
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. thyme
4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 c. finely chopped carrots
1 c. finely chopped celery
4 c. beef stock
4 Tbsp. butter, softened

Preparation

Pat roast dry and season with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the roast and brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer the roast to a plate and pour out all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add the onions, carrots and celery to the pan and cook over moderate heat, stirring until golden. Place the roast back in the pan along with the bay leaves, thyme and enough of the beef stock to come up 2/3 of the way up the beef. Bring the pot roast to a simmer on top of the stove. Skim; cover tightly and set in the lower third of a 350\u00b0 preheated oven. Regulate heat so that the liquid remains at a gentle simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the beef is tender. Turn the roast over several times during its braising.