Pot Roast with Tomato and Beef Gravy

I have not been posting for a while.  But I am  now home with a new baby so I hope to be able to create new recipes while I am home.  This recipe comes from looking into my fridge and pantry and putting it together.  The meat is from my CSA meat share and the veggies are a combination of CSA and organic from the store.  The beef stock is homemade but a store bought version works too.  If you can your own tomatoes use them, but I was out of them so I used San Marzano from my favorite  Italian market; but any brand or type works here.  As the weather gets cooler, this pot roast is a perct way to warm up.  This only takes 30 minutes to put together but a few hours to cook in the oven so make this recipe when you are home for a few hours.

Ingredients:

2 TBS olive oil

2 1/2 lb top round beef roast

1/4 cup flour

1 TBS salt, divided

2 tsp pepper, divided 

3 large carrots, cut into one inch pieces

3 large celery stalks, cut into one inch pieces

1 medium onion, cut into one inch pieces 

8 oz sliced mushrooms, I used baby Bellas

2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped

2 cups beef broth

1 sprig fresh rosemary

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 Bay leaves

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

Here's how:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

On the stove, heat a Dutch oven with the olive oil inside on medium high heat.

In a medium sized bowl, add the flour and half the salt and pepper.

Add the meat to the flour mixture and coat it completely.

Add the meat to the heated Dutch oven and brown it on all sides.  About 2 minutes per side.

Remove the meat from the Dutch oven and set it aside.

Add the carrots, celery, onions and mushrooms to the Dutch oven  Add the remaining salt and pepper.  

Stir and sauté for five minutes.

Add the garlic and sauté for one minute.  

Add the beef broth and use your spoon to scrape of any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.

Add the tomatoes.  

Stir in the tomatoes.

Tie together the rosemary and thyme with kitchen twine and add it to the Dutch oven.  Add the Bay leaves.  

Nestle in the beef.  

Bring the liquid up to a simmer. 

Put the lid onto the Dutch oven.

Place the Dutch oven into the oven for two and a half hours.

Remove the Dutch oven from the oven.  Lift lid to see how it looks. 

Remove the Bay leaves and thyme and rosemary bundle.

Slice or shred the meat and serve it with the sauce and vegetable on top.  

You can make some egg noodles and serve that with the meat and sauce on top if you want a complete meal.