Season and sear the beef

• Pat the beef chuck roast dry and season generously with salt and black pepper.
• Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the roast on all sides until deeply browned.
• Transfer the roast to a plate and set aside.

Sauté the aromatics

• Lower the heat to medium and add the onion to the same pot, scraping up the browned bits.
• Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant.

Deglaze with apple cider

• Pour in the apple cider and beef broth, stirring to loosen everything from the bottom.
• Add the Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme and bay leaves.

Braise the roast

• Return the roast to the pot, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven at 160 °C.
• Braise until the meat is nearly tender.

Add the vegetables

• Add the carrots and potatoes around the roast.
• Cover and continue braising until the vegetables are fork tender and the meat shreds easily.

Thicken the sauce and serve

• Transfer the roast and vegetables to a serving dish and discard the bay leaves.
• Stir the cornstarch slurry into the braising liquid and simmer until slightly thickened.
• Spoon the sauce over the roast and serve.