Black Forest Braised Beef with Gravy

I love really hearty diners, especially in the winter. So I bring you my Black Forest Braised Beef and Gravy. I generally make mashed potatoes and roasted veggies as sides.
(try my lemony mushroom and garlic butter glazed asparagus or simply roasted butter carrots.)
*braising is the process of simmering a meat in sauce, the sauce shouldn't cover the meat and veggies it should only come up to about half the depth of the meat.
I like to use a dutch oven or a cast iron skillet.

Oven 350@. cook beef to a temp of  135, but you must let it set for at least 10 minutes to come up to 140-145 for medium rare, most dishes will continue cooking after you remove them from the oven, except for chicken which will be a different blog. :)

 1 3.5lb boneless cross rib roast
3 med onions sliced 1/4'' verticals (that means from root to stems)
1 small med bulb of garlic peeled  (about 12 med to small cloves)
3 medium portobello mushrooms sliced 1/4'' thick
1 T  Kosher or sea salt (divided, use to season each "layer" of ingredients)
1 T Butter
3 T crushed black pepper corns
1 8oz Can beef broth
2 T peanut oil or olive which ever you have, peanut brings a new dimension to the whole dish.
2-3T balsamic vinegar
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After half the cooking time has elapsed add the following:
1 T Beef Base and 1/2 c. water Plus 2 cubes beef bullion and 2C. water)
Or 3 T Beef Base and 2 C water, Or 3 Cubes Beef Bullion and 2 C water.
basically you want to add  beef based liquid to bring the level of liquid back to the middle of the roast.

Heat your skillet until it's hot, add a tablespoon of oil, toss in the garlic and let it brown. Take the garlic out of the pan and set aside. Then toss in the mushrooms and season with salt, the mushrooms will soak up the garlic oil in the pan so when they start to dry add the butter, let them brown and put aside.
Salt and pepper the roast while you are working on the  mushrooms, make sure you season well on all sides.
Add remaining oil to pan and brown roast in pan on all sides, when you are ready to brown the last side add the onions, garlic and mushrooms to the sides of the pan. Once browned (about 4-5 minutes) add the liquids (vinegar, beef broth) then season with the crushed black pepper and remaining salt.
Place the whole thing in the oven and braise for an hour and a half or until it reaches temp. Baste every 20 mins to half hour.
At 45 minutes flip roast over and add the remaining liquids to pan, return to oven and let braise till temp.

Gravy
Take the roast out of the pan. Set pan on burner and bring to a simmer, make a slurry of  1/8 c corn starch and 1 teaspoon water (mix well) and stir into liquid, make sure you keep stirring or it will clump, let simmer till it's thick and gravy consistency.

Serve. :)
Please let me know if you liked this and if it worked out fabulously for you.