Pot roast

Coat the beef chuck, whole or in pieces, all over with about half the seasoning packet.

Preheat the oven to 325. Heat a Dutch oven on high with oil covering the bottom.

Sear the meat without crowding, a minute per side, in batches; remove.

Reduce to medium, adding oil if needed; add the onion and scrape the bottom of the pot.

Add carrots and celery and cook a couple of minutes, clearing the bits from the bottom.

Add the garlic for about 30 seconds, then stir in the flour, then the tomato paste, then the beef stock until the paste dissolves with no clumps.

Add the remaining seasoning and the thyme; return the meat, stir, add the bay leaf and bring to a simmer.

Turn off the heat, cover and roast in the oven two hours.

Remove the bay leaf; check the meat is tender and falls apart, and lift it out of the broth.

Skim the fat from the gravy and pour it over the meat.

Serve on a bed of mashed potatoes, garnished with a little parsley.