The first step in making a really good pot roast is browning the meat. That initial sear locks in the juice and starts the flavor building process.
Be sure to heat your Dutch oven thoroughly. It is best to use a medium heat and let the pot sit on the stove a little longer to warm up evenly.
Drizzle olive into the pan, and lay the roast seasoned with salt and pepper into the pan. You should hear a nice sizzle.
Don’t rush this step because the nice bits that stick are the foundation of the deep flavor this dish will develop.
Once the first side is brown, turn it over and brown the under side. Then, remove the roast and set aside.
Add another two tablespoons of olive oil to the Dutch oven, and add roughly chopped yellow onion.
Sauté the onion until they start to soften.
Next, add some minced garlic, carrot chunks, and season with some salt and pepper.
Add butter to the sautéing vegetables. Stir and get everything well coated in the butter. Then, add the flour and let it brown slightly.
Deglaze the pan with red wine. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bits of browed meat and vegetables off the bottom of the pot.
Then, bring the wine to a simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce the wine a bit. You will notice the butter and flour will make the red wine slightly cloudy. This is the start of the gravy that will develop in the Dutch oven as the roast cooks.
Next, add stewed tomatoes and beef broth to the Dutch oven along with two bay leaves.
This is the remainder of the cooking liquid for braising the roast.
Finally, return the browned roast to the Dutch Oven and nestle the meat in the cooking liquid.
Place the lid on tight and use either the oven or stove top method to cook.