Balsamic Pot Roast

3 lbs beef chuck roast, boneless
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
2 fresh sage leaves (or a sprinkle of powdered sage)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup red wine
1/3 cup GOOD balsamic vinegar
1 can beef broth
3 tbsp corn starch
Salt & Pepper
1 bag Baby carrots
2 medium potatoes, cut into mouth sized pieces

While I prefer to cook my pot roast in a crock pot, I do think it's essential to sear the meat first. I usually do this part the night before. Sprinkle garlic salt & pepper seasoning all over the meat. Heat olive oil on medium-high in a large skillet. When nice and hot, sear the roast on all sides - couple of minutes on each side. Remove from pan and place in the bowl of your slow cooker. Top with the sliced onion, chopped garlic and balsamic vinegar. I took a piece of cheesecloth and placed all the herbs in it, tied it up with kitchen string and placed it into the pot - this way you don't need to fish all the herbs out later. Cover pot and put in fridge overnight.

In the morning, add the red wine and beef broth. Cover and turn slow cooker on low and cook for 6 hours. Add the carrots & potatoes, turn the slow cooker up to high heat and cook for another 3-4 hours. Once everything is done to your desired tenderness, pour the liquid into a large measuring cup. Let it settle, then skim off the fat. Add about half of it to a bowl and mix in the corn starch until it's nice and smooth. Add the other half of the liquid to a medium saucepan and turn it on medium-high heat and bring to a slow boil. Add the cornstarch liquid to the saucepan and stir to combine. Heat until it gets hot and thickens up a bit. Once you've got the thickness you prefer, turn off heat and pour the gravy/sauce back into the crock pot over the top of meat and veggies. Serve hot.

If you want to shorten the cook time for this, cook it on high for 6-7 hours. Steam the carrots until tender, and microwave your potatoes. Cut the potatoes into bite sized pieces and add them and the carrots to the pot. While the veggies are cooking you can work on the sauce.