Pot Roast with a Heap of Carrots

From the garden

• 2½ lb carrots, scrubbed, halved crosswise, thick ends split lengthwise · cut so every piece is about 2 inches long and a finger thick; one third goes in for the gravy, two thirds late
• 2 large onions, cut into thick wedges
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

From the pantry

• 3½ lb boneless beef chuck roast, patted dry, tied if it is in two pieces
• 1½ cups dry red wine
• 2 cups beef stock
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar · to finish the gravy
• salt · to taste
• black pepper · to taste

1. Heat the oven to 325°F. Season the chuck all over with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high and brown the roast hard, 4–5 minutes per side, until it has a deep brown crust on every face. Move it to a plate.
2. Lower the heat to medium. Add the onions, garlic, and one third of the carrots and cook 6–8 minutes, stirring, until the onions soften and pick up color from the pan. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute until it darkens a shade.
3. Pour in the wine and scrape up every browned bit from the bottom. Let it bubble 3–4 minutes until reduced by about half, then add the stock, thyme, and bay leaves. Return the roast and any juices; the liquid should come about halfway up the meat.
4. Cover and braise in the oven for 2 hours. Turn the roast over once at the halfway point.
5. Add the remaining carrots, tucking them into the liquid around the meat. Cover and return to the oven for 45–60 minutes more, until a fork twists easily into the beef and the carrots are tender but still hold their shape.
6. Lift the roast and the whole carrots onto a platter and tent with foil. Fish out the thyme stems and bay leaves. Skim the fat off the liquid, then mash the soft early carrots and onions into it with a potato masher or blend briefly with a stick blender for a thick, sweet gravy. Simmer 5 minutes, stir in the vinegar, and season. Pull the beef into big chunks and serve with the carrots and plenty of gravy.