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(Now Recognized by the Culinary Council of Grandma-Level Respectability)

🛒 Ingredients You’ll Need:

• 3–4 lb beef chuck roast (the marbled kind that looks like it bench-presses stew)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil (enough to make your pan shimmer like a mirage)
• 1 large onion, chopped roughly
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed (because minced is too polite)
• 4–5 carrots, chopped into heroic chunks
• 3–4 celery stalks, chopped like you mean it
• 1.5 cups beef broth (or bone broth if you’re feeling primal)
• 1 cup dry red wine (or more, if you’re also drinking)
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes (for that acidic balance)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chiffonade or torn — plus more for garnish

🧙‍♂️ The Alchemy (aka Instructions):

1. Sear the Meat of Destiny:
   Season your beef chuck roast with salt and pepper like you’re summoning flavor gods. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Sear all sides of the roast until deeply browned, like it just came back from a beach vacation in Sardinia. Remove and set aside.
2. The Aromatic Foundation:
   In the same pot, toss in the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Sauté until they’re soft and starting to caramelize, about 5–7 minutes. These are the roots of your legitimacy.
3. Deglaze Like You Mean It:
   Pour in the red wine and scrape up all the fond (those meaty brown bits) stuck to the bottom. That’s liquid gold right there. Let it reduce for a few minutes.
4. Assemble the Ritual:
   Add in the beef broth, diced tomatoes (with juices), thyme, oregano, bay leaves, and about half of your fresh basil. Stir everything like you’re casting a slow-cooked spell.
5. Return of the Roast:
   Put your seared roast back into the pot. Spoon some liquid over the top like you’re tucking it in for a long nap.
6. Slow Cook to Glory:
   Cover and cook—either in a 300°F oven for 3–4 hours, or on low in a slow cooker for 8-ish hours. The meat should shred like a love letter.
7. Final Basil Blessing:
   Right before serving, stir in the remaining fresh basil. This keeps its flavor bright and makes people go “what is that magical note?”
8. Serve With Something Soakable:
   Mashed potatoes, crusty bread, or polenta. You need something to catch that basil-infused gravy, or you’ll weep from missed opportunities.

🏅 Bonus Legitimacy Tips:

• Garnish with fresh basil ribbons and a tiny splash of balsamic vinegar to add depth.
• Want it creamy? Swirl in a spoon of mascarpone at the end like a chaotic good sorcerer.
• Freeze the leftovers, because this pot roast only gets more powerful with time.

Now you have a beef pot roast so legitimate, it might demand voting rights at your next family gathering. Let basil be your green-tinted torch in the flavorful darkness.