Pot Roast

I use a recipe from American Test Kitchen, but it's a long braise instead of using a slow cooker. I think the long braise is waaay better, but if you don't have a free afternoon to babysit it, then you're better off with a slow cooker version.

Usually in a slow cooker I'll set it on low for 5 hours, maybe longer depending on the size of the roast.

Ingredients:

• 2.5-4lb boneless chuck-eye roast (size is up to you, bigger just takes longer to cook)
• 2tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped medium
• 2-3 carrots, chopped medium
• 1 celery rib, chopped medium
• 2ish garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1-1.5 cups water
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 1.5lb red potatoes, halved if larger than 1.5" in diameter (or just chunk them up however you like)

Directions (Braise)

1. Do all your slicing and dicing.
2. Heat oven to 300.
3. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
4. Brown roast on all sides (reduce heat if oil or anything starts smoking). This will take about ten minutes total.
5. Transfer roast to a large plate, then reduce heat.
6. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook for about five minutes until they start to brown. (We're waiting until much later to add potatoes).
7. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
8. Grab a wooden spoon and stir in the chicken and beef broth, making sure to scrape the bottom of the Dutch oven to get all the delicious browned bits. Toss that thyme sprig in there.
9. Put the roast back in the pot, making sure that liquid level rises to at least halfway up the sides of the roast. If it doesn't, add some water until it does.
10. Throw that junt in the oven and turn the roast every 30 minutes. For like 3.5-4 hours. Start checking for doneness after 2 hours, just in case your oven is fiesty. You want a fork to slide in and out of the roast really easily. A tip: if you get an internal temp of 210, you've got about an hour left.
11. When you have about an hour left, add the potatoes.
12. After the roast is finally done and you're a hundred years old, transfer the roast to a cutting board and tent in aluminum foil. Let the liquid settle in the pot for about 5 minutes, then try to skim some of the fat off the surface. That's not an exact science so just do your best. Discard thyme sprig.
13. Boil over high heat and reduce pan sauce (about 8 minutes). Add red wine and reduce again (about 2 minutes).
14. Slice roast and serve with veggies and sauce.