Step 1

Preheat and Season - Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).

Step 2

Pat the bottom round roast dry with paper towels. Season it generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Step 3

Searing - In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.

Step 4

Sear the seasoned roast on all sides until 3-4 minutes till nicely browned. Remove the roast from the Dutch oven and set it aside.

Step 5

Aromatics and Braising Liquid - In the same Dutch oven, add the sliced onion and minced garlic. Sauté for a few minutes until they start to soften and become fragrant.

Step 6

Add the dried thyme and rosemary to the onion and garlic mixture. If you’re using fresh herbs, you can add them later.

Step 7

Deglaze, Add Liquids - Pour in the red wine and beef broth, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. This adds flavor to the braising liquid.

Step 8

Add the bay leaves to the liquid.

Step 9

Return Roast and Add Vegetables - Place the seared roast back into the Dutch oven, nestled among the aromatic mixture.

Step 10

Add the carrot and celery chunks around the roast.

Step 11

If using fresh herbs, tuck the sprigs of thyme and rosemary around the roast and vegetables.

Step 12

Braising = Cover the Dutch oven with its lid and transfer it to the preheated oven.

Step 13

Rare: If you like your roast rare, roast to 125 degrees F internal temperature (about 2 hours) then take out and tent with foil and it will come to 135 while it is resting on the counter.

Step 14

Medium: If you like your roast medium with a bit of pink in the middle: roast to 135 degrees F (about 2 hours abd 15 minutes) and then tent it while it rests on your counter it will come to 145 degrees F.

Step 15

For fall apart roast: let the roast braise for about 3 - 3.5 hours, or until the meat is fall-apart tender. You can check the tenderness by inserting a fork; it should easily shred.

Step 16

FINISHING - Once the roast is tender, carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven.

Step 17

Transfer the roast to a cutting board and let it rest for about 15-20 minutes before slicing.