Okay, so, I definitely did not have any elk, but I *did* have a 2 lb beef chuck roast, and my last pot roast was a fail, so I thought, why the heck not? Here I present to you my not-elk take on @gaileyfrey's stone soup 9: "W-elk-ome to Braising"

Spoiler alert, it was FANTASTIC. https://twitter.com/gaileyfrey/status/1248745086197706752

Mise en place and browning the meat. My seasoning blend = cracked pepper blend, salt, garlic and onion powder, smoked paprika, dried sage and thyme, and some espresso-ground coffee.

Satisfying sizzle!

Beef has been removed from the pan, veggies have been added plus a splorsh of red wine.

Browning the veggies, added some extra seasoning (tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, whole peppercorns), added the chunks of browned beef back to the pot with red wine and beef stock, then topped with some butter, bay leaves and fresh rosemary and thyme. Ready for the oven!

30 min in and my kitchen is starting to smell divine!

2 hours in and the meat is starting to pull apart, but I think I'll give it another 30 minutes.

Oh yeah, now we're talkin'!

Melting the butter to make a sauce from the braising liquid.

Roux time

Brown sauce made from roux + braising liquid (I had about 2 cups of liquid)

Finished plate of my not-elk version of @gaileyfrey's Rainy-Day Elk Braise! Served over buttered egg noodles and topped with sauce made from the braising liquid.

Another A+++ winner, truly fucking perfect.