Southern Beer-Braised Pot Roast

• 1 pound small carrots with tops, peeled
• 1 (3- to 4-lb.) boneless chuck roast, trimmed
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons instant dark roast coffee
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 (12-oz.) bottles stout beer
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 2 (1-oz.) containers home-style concentrated beef stock (from a 4.66-oz. package)
• 2 pounds pearl onions
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Hot cooked grits
• Garnish: fresh thyme sprigs

Directions:

1. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. Rub coffee over roast, and let stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Cook roast in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until browned, reserving drippings in skillet. Place roast in your vita clay pot slow cooker.

2. Add tomato paste and garlic to hot drippings, and sauté 1 minute. Slowly add beer, whisking constantly. Stir in thyme and concentrated beef stock; bring to a boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes or until mixture reduces to about 3 cups.

3. Pour beer mixture over roast. Top roast with onions and carrots. Cover and cook on "stew" for 2-3 hours.

4. Skim fat from cooking liquid; transfer cooking liquid to a large saucepan. Whisk in vinegar. Whisk together cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl until smooth; add to mixture in pan, stirring until blended. Bring mixture to a boil, and boil, whisking often, 1 minute or until sauce reaches desired thickness. Serve sauce with roast, vegetables, and hot cooked grits.

Image and Recipe Courtesy of southernliving.com. We converted this recipe in our Vitaclay!