roast beef and mashed potatoes

Ingredients

• • 2½ pounds russet potatoes
• • ¾ cup heavy cream (plus extra as needed)
• • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick)
• • ½ teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
• • 4 ounces brick cream cheese (softened and cut into small cubes)
• • Kosher salt (to taste)
• • 2½-3 pounds chuck roast (or rump roast)
• • 2½-3 teaspoons kosher salt
• • 2 teaspoons black pepper
• • 2 tablespoons olive oil (or similar)
• • 1 large sweet yellow onion (cut into wedges)
• • 3 large carrots (scrubbed, ends trimmed, cut into chunks)
• • 2-3 cloves garlic
• • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• • 2 cups low-sodium beef broth (plus more as needed)
• • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• • 1 bunch fresh thyme sprigs
• • 2 bay leaves
• • ½-1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Instructions

1. 1) Peel potatoes and cut them into one-inch cubes.  Add to a heavy pot with cold, salted water and bring to a boil.  Cook until fork-tender, approx. 10-12 minutes. Drain.
2. 2) Meanwhile, add the cream, butter, and black pepper to a small saucepan set over low heat.  Warm the cream until the butter is melted.
3. 3) After draining the potatoes, add the cream cheese to the warm pot. Using a potato ricer, rice the potatoes in batches into the pot.  Then, pour the warm cream and butter mixture over the potatoes.  Stir together until well incorporated. Additional cream can be added if needed.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. 4) Preheat the oven to 325℉. Season the chuck roast on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the roast to the pan and cook it for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned. Transfer the beef to a plate.
5. 5) Add the onions and carrots to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables start to caramelize. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook it for another 1-2 minutes.
6. 6) Add the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Stir, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the beef back to the pan, along with the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. The liquid should come halfway up the side of the meat. If necessary, add more broth.
7. 7) Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and transfer it to the oven. Bake for 2 hours. Check the meat for doneness - it should shred apart easily with a fork. If not, continue cooking, and check for doneness every 20-25 minutes. (A 2½-pound roast generally takes 3 hours.)
8. 8) When the meat shreds easily with a fork, transfer it to a clean plate. Add the Dijon mustard to the pan and use an immersion blender to blend the liquid and vegetables until smooth. If the gravy seems too thick, thin it out with extra beef broth. Shred the meat and serve with gravy and mashed potatoes.