ina's company pot roast

in all the years i've daydreamed about being an adult, i never pictured myself making a pot roast. it seemed way too grown up for me. which is crazy. since there are few things better than beef that's been slow roasted in vegetables and wine for hours. this is what sunday meals should be made of.

my one and only piece of advice: make sure your dutch oven is big enough to contain everything. i cooked a three and a half pound chuck roast in a four quart pan, and it almost didn't make it. had my roast been a tad bit larger, i would have needed a larger pan.

ina's company pot roast
adapted from ina garten
45 minutes prep, 2 1/2 hours cook time, 15 minutes finishing

3 to 5 pound boneless beef chuck roast
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups chopped carrotts (about 4 medium sized)
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped (about 5 stalks)
2 cups leeks, chopped (about 2 medium sized)
5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 cups good red wine
28 ounce can whole plum tomatoes in puree
1 cup chicken stock
3 branches fresh thyme
3 branches fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
mashed potatoes for serving

1. preheat your oven to 325F.
2. tie up your beef so it stays in one piece and doesn't flop around. pat the entire roast dry with a paper towel and season well with salt and pepper. coat the entire roast in flour.
3. coat the bottom of a large dutch oven with olive oil and place over medium heat. sear each side and ends of the roast for about five minutes per side, until browned. once all sides are seared, remove roast from the pan and set aside.
4. coat the bottom of the dutch oven with olive oil. add the carrots, onions, celery, leeks, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes until softened. add the wine and bring to a boil. add the tomatoes, chicken stock, and season with salt and pepper. tie the thyme and rosemary together with kitchen string and add to the pot. put the roast back in the pan, bring to a boil, and cover. 
5. remove from heat and place in the oven for an hour. turn the heat down to 250F and cook about another 1 and a half hours, or until the meat falls apart and measures about 160F internally.
6. remove the roast and place on a cutting board. tent with foil.
7. remove the herb bundle from the sauce. using an immersion blender, blend the sauce until about half of the vegetables have been pureed. if you prefer a smooth sauce, blend all of the vegetables.
8. in a small bowl, mash the remaining 2 tablespoons flour with the 1 tablespoon butter until a paste forms. whisk this into the sauce and stir until thickened. taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper.
9. remove the strings from the roast and slice the meat. serve the meat over mashed potatoes and spoon the sauce on top.