Braised Beef

Ingredients:

• 1 medium fennel bulb
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 large carrots
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 lb. cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 5 lb. boneless chuck roast
• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 1/2 cups dry red wine
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth, divided
• 3 large sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves

Directions:

1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat oven to 350 F.
2. Trim and halve fennel bulb lengthwise and dice. Peel carrots and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.
3. Trim and quarter 1 pound of cremini mushrooms.
4. Trim any large pieces of fat from 5-pound boneless chuck roast and cut into 3- to 4-inch pieces. Pat dry with paper towels and place in a large bowl. Season with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with flour and toss with your hands until the pieces are coated on all sides.
5. THeat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or oven-safe heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, add the beef and sear until browned on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a large plate or rimmed baking pan.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the fennel, onion and carrots and sauté until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook until darkened in color and fragrant, about 1 minute.
7. Pour in 2 1/2 cups dry red wine and 1 cup of the low-sodium beef broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
8. Add the mushrooms and stir to combine. Return the beef to the pot in a single layer, nestling the meat into the liquid and vegetables, and add any accumulated juices on the plate. The beef should sit just above the liquid line and not be fully immersed in the liquid. If there isn’t enough liquid, add as much of the remaining 1/2 cup beef broth as needed. Nestle three large fresh thyme sprigs and two bay leaves between pieces of meat.
9. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is gently falling apart when pricked with a fork, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.