Braised Chuck Pot Roast

I first made this in college, when I heard that all you had to do was rub a chuck roast with the contents of a Lipton dry onion soup mix packet and pop it in the oven for a. The key words that applied were "easy, "cheap," and "tasty."

The more I made it, the more I embellished the recipe: Browned the meat, added veggies, added spices and thickened the gravy. The more I learned about food and cooking, the more fun turned into interesting science.

And over all those years—about 50 now—this is the first time I'm writing down the recipe. Can you believe that?

Ingredients 

• CHUCK ROAST, 3-4 pounds
• LIPTON DRIED ONION SOUP, 1 packer
• OLIVE OIL, 3+ tablespoons
• CARROTS, 3-4 medium, peeled, cut into 2" pieces
• ONIONS, 2 medium, wedged
• RED POTATOES, 5 small, halved
• ROSEMARY, ½ tablespoon, crushed
• THYME, ½ tablespoon, crushed
• BEEF BROTH, 14.5-ounce can, or equivalents 
• FLOUR, 2 tablespoons
• COLD WATER, ¼ cup

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 275°F.
2. Lightly sear the onions in olive oil in a Dutch oven and set aside. Repeat with the carrots and potatoes separately.
3. Brown the roast on all sides, then rub the onion soup mix into the top. Add the vegetables into the Dutch oven, and sprinkle in the rosemary and thyme. Pour the beef broth over everything.
4. Cover tightly. Cook on the middle rack for two hours, then remove the carrots and potatoes into separate serving dishes.
5. Bump up the heat to 300°F and cook for 1½ to 2 hours longer, until the meat practically falls apart. Cut the roast into chunks and arrange in a flat casserole.
6. Make a flour slurry and thicken the remaining liquid in the Dutch oven. Pour over roast chunks. Serve with the carrots and potatoes. 

That's it.