Pot Roast with Wild Mushrooms and Fresh Thyme

Ingredients

• 6 servings pepper black freshly ground
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 1.5 cups carrots peeled coarsely chopped
• 1.5 cups celery coarsely chopped
• 2 pounds mushrooms such as chanterelle mixed rinsed cut into bite-size pieces
• 0.3 cup flour all-purpose
• 6 servings kosher salt 
• 4 cups beef broth reduced-sodium
• 750 ml merlot dry red
• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1.5 cups onions coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon orange peel shredded
• 0.8 cup shallots chopped
• 3  thyme sprigs plus 1 tbsp. leaves fresh chopped
• 3.5 lbs boned 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• pot
• sieve
• aluminum foil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 32
2. Sprinkle roast lightly with salt and pepper; coat generously with flour.
3. Pour oil into a large (at least 6-qt.), heavy ovenproof pot over medium-high heat.
4. Add beef and cook, turning as needed, until browned all over, about 15 minutes total.
5. Transfer to a plate.
6. Add chopped vegetables to pot and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
7. Add broth, wine, thyme sprigs, and beef. Cover and bring to a boil, then transfer pot to oven.
8. Bake until beef is tender when pierced, 3 to 3 1/4 hours, turning roast over once.
9. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
10. Add shallots and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
11. Add mushrooms, increase heat to high, and cook, stirring often, until liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are beginning to brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Stir in thyme leaves and salt and pepper to taste.
12. Transfer beef to a platter; cover with foil and keep warm in a 200 oven.
13. Pour braising liquid through a strainer into a wide frying pan. Skim off fat. Boil over high heat until reduced by about half, about 20 minutes. Stir in orange peel and salt and pepper to taste.
14. Pour sauce into a bowl.
15. Cut beef into 1/2-in. slices and drizzle with a little sauce. Spoon mushrooms around meat and serve with remaining sauce on the side.