Anne Byrn’s Braised Pot Roast with Sweet Onion Gravy

Serves: 8

Hands-on time: 30 minutes

Total time: 4 hours

Ingredients:

1 (4-pound) boneless beef chuck roast 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Seasoning salt of your choice (optional) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 large sweet onions, peeled and cut in half crosswise

4 cups roughly chopped carrots

4 cups roughly chopped potatoes, parsnips or turnips

Instructions:

Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 300°.

Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Place the flour in a shallow dish and stir in salt, pepper and seasoning salt to taste. Dredge the roast on all sides in the seasoned flour.

Heat the oil in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven or over heavy-bottomed pot over high heat. Add the roast and brown on each side until well seared, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the pot from the heat and transfer the roast to a plate.

Place the onion halves cut-side down in the bottom of the pot. Place the roast on top of the onions, and cover the pot.

Bake for 2 hours. Add the carrots and potatoes, and spoon the juices over the vegetables to baste. Return the pot, covered, to the oven and continue to bake until the beef is very tender and the juices have thickened, 1 to 11⁄2more hours.

To serve, remove the roast from the pot and slice it into thick servings. Arrange slices of beef on plates with the carrots, onions and potatoes. Spoon the pan juices over the top.