Make-Ahead Classic Pot Roast

Name: Make-Ahead Classic Pot Roast
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients: 1 , (3 1/2- to 4-pound) boneless beef chuck-eye roast, pulled into two pieces at natural seam and trimmed of large knobs of fat; , kosher salt; 2 tablespoons, unsalted butter; 2 , medium onions, halved and sliced thin (about 2 cups); 1 , large carrot, chopped medium (about 1 cup); 1 , celery rib, chopped medium (about 3/4 cup); 2 , medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons); 1 cup, beef broth, plus 1 to 2 cups for sauce (see note); 1/2 cup, dry red wine, plus 1/4 cup for sauce; 1 tablespoon, tomato paste; 1 , bay leaf; 1 sprig plus 1/4 teaspoon, chopped fresh thyme leaves; , ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon, balsamic vinegar

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated November/December 2010

These days, pot roasts come in all styles and flavors. But when we went looking for truly beefy taste, a simple 19th-century recipe proved the best guide.

SERVES6 to 8

TIME5¼ to 5¾ hours, plus 1 hour standing and 48 hours marinating

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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Pot roast can be boring and bland full of dry, stringy meat, stubborn bits of fat, and wan gravy. We wanted a meltingly tender roast sauced in savory, full-bodied gravy.To start, we separated the roast into two lobes, which allowed us to re...

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