Ingredients:

  • 3 lb beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess exterior fat
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 packet low-sodium onion soup mix
  • 1 cup low-sodium beef bone broth
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 lb baby gold potatoes, halved
  • 4 large carrots, cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
  • 2 stalks celery, cut into chunks

Instructions:

  1. Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season generously with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Note: Dry meat sears better.
  2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Sear the roast for 4-5 minutes per side until a deep, mahogany colored crust forms, then transfer the meat to the slow cooker.
  3. Deglaze the skillet with a splash of the beef broth, scraping up the brown bits (fond), and pour this liquid into the crockpot. Note: This is where the flavor lives.
  4. Arrange the quartered onion, smashed garlic, and fresh thyme sprigs around the beef.
  5. Stir together the remaining beef bone broth, onion soup mix, and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl, then pour the mixture over the roast.
  6. Cover the pot and cook on Low for 8 hours. until the meat is tender but not yet falling apart.
  7. Add the halved baby gold potatoes, 5 cm carrot chunks, and celery chunks to the pot.
  8. Cook for an additional 3 hours on Low until the vegetables are fork tender and the meat is velvety.