• Heat the oven to 325°F.
• Sprinkle the beef lightly with salt and pepper on all sides.
  1 beef chuck roast | Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the beef for about 5 to 7 minutes on each side. Remove the meat to a plate and set aside.
  2 tbsp vegetable oil
  
Don’t rush the browning step. A deep brown crust gives the gravy a much better flavor.
• Add the remaining oil to the Dutch oven, then add onion and sauté until softened. Add the garlic, rosemary, and thyme, and continue cooking for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring often.
  1 tbsp vegetable oil | 1 1/2 cups chopped onion | 2 tsp minced garlic | 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary | 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves | 1 tbsp tomato paste
  
• Deglaze the pot with the red wine and 1 1/2 cups of the beef stock, scraping up the browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Add the roast back to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover the Dutch oven and braise in the preheated oven for 2 hours.
  1 cup dry red wine | 1 ½ cups low sodium beef stock
  
• Arrange the potatoes and rutabaga around the roast and add the remaining beef stock, beef base, and bay leaf. Cover and return the Dutch oven to the oven for 30 minutes.
  2 ½ cups low sodium beef stock | 1 medium rutabaga | 1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes | 2 tsp beef base | 1 large bay leaf
• Add the carrots and celery to the pot. Cover and return the Dutch oven to the oven for about 1 hour, or until the vegetables are tender.
  3 large carrots | 3 ribs celery
  
• Remove the meat and vegetables to a platter and keep warm.
  

Finish the Gravy

• Skim the excess fat off the juices and place the Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer.
• Whisk the flour into the cold water until perfectly smooth. Whisk about 2/3 of the slurry into the simmering juices in the Dutch oven, and cook, stirring often, for 3 to 5 minutes, adding more slurry if you want a thicker gravy.
  1/3 cup all-purpose flour | 1/2 cup water
Add only part of the slurry at first, then simmer and add more if needed. The gravy will thicken as it cooks.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper