French Onion Pot Roast

Directions

1. Pat down your chuck roast and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. If you're making the pot roast in the oven, you can do this directly in the dutch oven. Add the olive oil. When hot, add the chuck roast to the skillet and sear on all sides for about 2-3 minutes per side. You want the meat to brown as this will make a more tender and flavorful roast. Remove to a plate. Add a little more oil to the pan and sauté, the onions for 3-4 minutes or until they sweat down just a tad bit.
2. Add half the onions to the slow cooker, followed by all the garlic, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic, onion powder, dried thyme, bay leaf, celery seeds, sugar, and the chuck roast. Top with the other half of the onions. Allow the roast to cook on the low setting for 6-8 hours until fall apart tender. Remove the meat from the slow cooker. Cover, and keep warm. Combine 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and water in a small bowl or mason jar. Add to the slow cooker, stir, and let cook for an additional 5-7 minutes. If the gravy is still thin, use the remaining tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water, and let cook an additional 5 minutes.
3. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 275º,F. Once you sauté, the onions, add the chuck roast back into the dutch oven along with the garlic, 2 cups of beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic, onion powder, dried thyme, bay leaf, celery seeds, and sugar. The liquid should come halfway up the chuck roast if it doesn't add additional broth until half of the chuck roast is submerged. Stir to combine. Cover the dutch oven with a lid and let braise in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven, check for doneness, and continue braising for an additional 1 to 1 ½, hours. Your roast is done when it easily pierces with a fork.