Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 lbs rump roast
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• 20 peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme (or 1/2 t dried)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh parsley (or 1/2 t dried)
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large carrots
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1/3 cup flour
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Melt the butter in a large oven safe pot and sear all sides of the roast in the butter for 2-3 minutes per side or until all sides are browned.

3. Remove the meat from the pot to a plate. Add the onion, celery, bay leaf, garlic, peppercorns, thyme and parsley to the pot that the meat was browned in and saute over high heat for 5 minutes until the onions just start to brown.

4. Put the roast back into the pot with the vegetables. Add the stock and 1/2 teaspoons salt.

5. Cook the meat in the oven, covered, for 4 hours or until the meat is tender enough to tear apart. Every half hour or so, baste with the broth so that it does not dry out.

6. When the roast is tender, remove it from the pot and strain the stock into a medium bowl. Discard the vegetables and spices but keep the stock.

7. Using 2 forks, shred the roast apart into slightly bigger than bite-size chunks. Put the meat back into the pot and pour the stock over it. Add the remaining 1/2 t salt and carrots.

8. Put the pot back into the oven and cook for 40-50 minutes. This will make the meat even more tender and fill it with flavor. By this time the carrots should be tender.

9. Just before serving the pot roast make a gravy by staining the stock from the pot roast and combining it with an additional 2 cups of stock. Sprinkle the flour into a medium saucepan and stir in the liquid. ( you should have about 3 cups of stock altogether. If not, add water until you reach 3 cups of liquid). Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often until thick. Remove from heat.

10. Serve the roast and carrots on a bed of mashed potatoes with the gravy poured over the top. Salt and pepper to taste.