GARLIC-STUFFED POT ROAST

With a small, sharp knife, make 10 to 15 slits around the outside of the roast. Inset the half cloves of garlic into the slits.

Rub the roast with 1 TBSP of essence, 1 TSP of black pepper, and 1 TSP of salt.

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees

Heat the oil in a large, skillet over medium-high heat. Add roast and sear on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from the pan. Deglaze the pan with red wine, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. In a mixing bowl, wisk together the tomato paste and 1 cup of water. Add the tomato paste mixture to the red wine and cook for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large roasting pan alternate the carrots and celery on the bottom of the pan. Place the bay leaves on the vegetables. Scatter the onions, potatoes and garlic over the bottom. Place the roast on top of the vegetables. Add the red wine mixture and the stock. Cover roasting pan lightly with aluninum foil and bake 1½ hours

Uncover the pot roast. Baste with the pan juices and lower the heat to 350 degrees. Cover roast and continue cooking until the meat is completely tender, about 2-2½ hours. Baste each hour. Let rest for 15 minutes and remove from pan. Pour gravy from pan over meat.