Pot Roast of Beef with Wild Mushrooms

• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 pkg
• 10 -
• 15 g dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cross-rib, blade or short-rib beef roast (3 lbs)
• 1/2 tsp each salt and black pepper
• 8 oz shallots, peeled but left whole (about 8)
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups sliced mushrooms (a mixture of button, shitake and portobello; about 8 oz.
• 1 tbsp each cornstarch and cold water
• sprigs of fresh thyme or parsley

Stir together boiling water and porcini mushrooms in a small heatproof bowl, then let stand for 20 minutes. Line a sieve with paper towels, then drain porcini mushrooms through sieve, reserving soaking liquid. Rinse mushrooms under running water, then pat dry on paper towels. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 325oF.

Heat oil in a 12 Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef roast all over with salt and pepper. Put beef roast in Dutch oven, then cook for 3 to 5 minutes, turning often, until browned on all sides. Remove beef roast to a plate.

Add shallots to fat remaining in Dutch oven, then cook, stirring for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown. Add porcini mushrooms to Dutch oven, along with their soaking liquid, red wine, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up any brown bits from bottom of Dutch oven. Return beef to Dutch oven and cover with lid. Transfer to the oven, then cook for 201/2 hours. Add sliced mushrooms to pot, stirring to combine with cooking juices. Return to the oven and cook, covered, for a further 30 minutes, until beef is very tender and mushrooms are cooked.

Remove beef to a large plate, cover loosely with foil and keep ward. Stir together cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl, until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to mushroom mixture in Dutch oven. Bring to a boil on stovetop over medium high heat, stirring constantly, Reduce heat to medium-low, then simmer, stirring often, for 2 - 3 minutes. until mushroom gravy has thickened and is smooth. Discard bay leaf, then taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.

To serve, cut beef into thick slices; arrange on a warm serving platter. Drizzle some of the mushroom gravy evenly over beef then pour remaining gravy into a warm serving bowl. Garnish beef with thyme, then serve at once