Beef Carbonnade

1 large chuck roast (3+ pound if you can get it!)

olive oil

3 Tb butter

2 large sweet onions (such as Vidalia or Texas sweet onions. You can also use regular yellow onions, but we prefer these) halved and sliced in thick slices

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 Tb tomato paste

3 Tb flour

1 cup beef broth

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup beer (if you're a beer drinker, use your favorite brand. The darker the beer, the stronger the flavor. If not, we like Odoul's Amber the best, and it's non-alcoholic, yay!)

3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine

1 bay leaf

1 Tb cider vinegar

salt and pepper (I like kosher salt for this)

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.

Trim and cut your roast into 1 1/2-2 inch chunks. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and toss till all pieces are coated. Heat 2 Tb olive oil on medium high in a large dutch oven, or heavy-bottomed pan. Place half of the meat in the pan, in a single layer, and cook till the bottom is well browned. Flip each piece over, and cook till the other side is well browned. It should still be very red in the middle. Remove this meat to a separate bowl, and repeat with the second half of the meat.

Reduce heat to medium or medium-low, and add butter. As the butter melts, scrape up all beefy bits you can. Add the onions, sprinkle with a bit of salt (about 1/2 tsp) and stir. Cover and let the onions cook down till they get soft, browned, and translucent, about 10-15 minutes, checking and stirring often. If the edges start to burn, turn the heat down. Make sure to keep scraping up any beefy bits.

When onions are softened, add the garlic, and cook till fragrant and golden, about a minute. Then add tomato paste, and cook till warmed and coating the onions. Add flour, and stir till well coated, and cook for another few minutes, stirring often. Add broths gradually, whisking constantly to break up floury chunks. Bring heat up to high, and add beer, beef&juices, thyme, bay leaf, and vinegar.

Bring to a boil, cover, and place dutch oven in your oven. (Or, if you are using a heavy bottomed pan, transfer the whole mixture to an oven-safe lidded baking dish, and place in the oven) Cook about 2 hours, until beef is flaky and fork-tender (check at about 1 1/2 hours) If the gravy hasn't thickened quite enough, uncover for the last 30 minutes.

Serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.