Wednesday's Classic Pot Roast Recipe - From COOKS

I got this recipe from the Cooks magazine... anyone interested in trying it with me this week?  Here it is!

1 boneless chuck eye roast 3.5 - 4lbs 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
1 cup beef broth plus 1 - 2 cups for sauce
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

1.  Sprinkle pieces of meat with 1 tblspoon salt, place on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet, and let stand at room temp for 1 hour.
2.  Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.  Heat butter in heavy bottomed dutch oven over medium heat.  When foaming subsides, add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 8 - 10 mins.  Add carrot and celery; continue to cook, stirring occasionally for 5 mins longer.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds.  Stir in 1 cup broth, 1/2 cup wine, tomato paste, bay leaf, and thyme sprig; bring to simmer.
3.  Pat beef dry with paper towels and season generously with pepper.  Using 3 pieces of kitchen twine, tie each piece of meat into loaf shape for even cooking.
4.  Nestle meat on top of veggies.  Cover pot tightly with large piece of foil and cover with lid; transfer pot to the oven.  Cook beef until fully tender and sharp knife easily slips in and out of meant, 3 1/2 - 4 hours.  Turning halfway through cooking.
5.  Transfer roasts to cutting board and tent loosely with foil.  Strain liquid through mesh strainer into 4 cup liquid measuring cup.  Discard bay leaf and thyme sprig.  Transfer veggies to blender jar.  Allow liquid to settle 5 mins, then skim any fat off surface.  Add beef broth as necessary to bring liquid amount to 3 cups.  Place liquid in blender with veggies and blend until smooth, about 2 mins.  Transfer sauce to medium saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat.
6.  While sauce heats, remove twine from roast and slice against gran into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Transfer meat to large serving platter.  Stir chopped thyme, remaining 1/4 cup wine, and vinegar into sauce and season to taste with s & p.  Spoon halve of sauce over meat; pass remaining sauce separately.

Come on folks - JOIN ME!