Ingredients:

  • 3.5 lb beef chuck roast, well-marbled
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 lb baby yellow potatoes, halved
  • 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1.5 cups low-sodium beef bone broth
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste

Instructions:

  1. Pat the chuck roast completely dry with paper towels. Season all sides aggressively with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
  2. Heat avocado oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, sear the roast for 5 minutes per side until a dark, mahogany-colored crust forms. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker.
  3. In the same skillet, add the sliced onions and sauté for 2 minutes until the onion softens and the paste darkens. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste, stirring for 1 minute until fragrant.
  4. Deglaze the skillet with a splash of beef bone broth, scraping up the brown bits (fond) with a wooden spoon. Add the balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, then add the remaining beef bone broth. Stir to combine and pour the mixture over the roast in the slow cooker.
  5. Arrange the halved baby potatoes and carrot chunks around the beef. Nestling the rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves into the liquid.
  6. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours until the beef is fork-tender and the collagen has fully transitioned into gelatin.
  7. Remove the bay leaves and herb stems before serving. Shred the beef slightly and serve with the vegetables and a ladle of the braising liquid. Rest the meat for 15 minutes before serving.