Ed debevic's pot roast

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients:

1 3-to 3 1/2 lb thick-sliced -beef chuck arm roast (with -bone if possible)
1/4 c All-purpose flour
2 tb Cooking oil
1 lg Spanish onion cut into 1- -inch pieces
4 lg Cloves garlic sliced
1/2 bn Celery thick sliced
1 1/2 ts Dried thyme crushed or 3 or -4 fresh thyme sprigs
4 Bay leaves
3 tb Tomato paste
3/4 c Burgundy or other dry red -wine
2 c Au jus prepared from -envelopes of au jus sauce -mix or gravy mix
1/2 ts Salt (optional)
1/2 ts Pepper
1/2 ts Crushed red pepper
1/4 c All-purpose flour
1 1/2 c Water

Instructions:

Trim excess fat from the meat. Season the meat with some salt and pepper. Coat with the 1/4 cup flour. In a 4-5 quart Dutch oven or kettle brown meat on both sides in hot oil. Remove meat leaving drippings in the Dutch oven. Add onion garlic celery thyme and bay leaves. Cook and stir about 5 minutes or till vegetables are just tender. Stir in the tomato paste and burgundy. Let simmer uncovered for 5 minutes to reduce sauce stirring to scrape up browned bits in pan. Add the au jus sauce salt (if you like) pepper and crushed red pepper. Bring to boiling. Add meat to sauce in the Dutch oven. Cover and bake in a 325 degree oven for 3 1/2 to 4 hours or till meat is very tender and falls off the bone. (For just-tender meat bake for only 2 hours.) Remove meat from pan. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup flour with water. Stir into sauce in pan. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Serve with meat. Makes 6 to 8 servings. From Ed Debevic's Short Orders/Deluxe in Chicago Recipe printed in Midwest Living April 1993