Preheat oven to 325°. Cut meat into 2-3 inch pieces and dry all sides with paper towels. Meat will not brown well if it is damp. Mix salt, pepper, thyme, granulated onion, granulated garlic, and paprika in a small bowl.
Use an oven safe covered pot, such as a Dutch oven, just large enough to hold roast and vegetables. Heat 2 tbsp of oil over medium heat (hot enough to sear the meat).
Brown roast pieces several minutes on each side, in small batches, until well browned. It is important not to overcrowd the meat while browning so it browns well and does not steam. Set browned meat aside on a platter and sprinkle with spice mix.
While meat is browning, prepare vegetables by coarsely chopping onion, celery, and garlic. Carrots can be cut into 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch pieces (sticks) and potatoes into 1 1/2-inch cubes in order to cook more quickly; set aside until ready to add to the pot later in the cooking process.
Once all the meat is browned, add celery and chopped onion to the pan to soften and caramelize over medium heat about 5 minutes or until light golden brown (additional oil can be added if the pan is too dry), add the garlic at the end of the caramelizing process.
Return the roast to the pot, including any juices that accumulated on the platter; let rest on top of the onions and celery.
Add the bay leaf, tomato paste, wine, and enough beef stock to barely cover the meat (2-3 cups). Cover and bring to a simmer on top of the stove.
Once simmering, remove from the stove and place the covered pot in the lower third of a preheated oven. Cook for 3 hours or until meat is tender and a fork pierces it easily.
During the last hour of cooking time, add the carrots and potatoes to the pot right, resting on top of the meat. Cover and return to the oven to cook until tender, about 45 minutes.
While the potatoes and carrots are cooking, prepare and sauté mushrooms in a large skillet in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until browned. Work in small batches if needed to be sure the mushrooms brown well. Return all mushrooms to skillet and set aside, off heat, until roast is done.
Once the roast is tender and the potatoes and carrots are fork tender, remove potatoes and carrots from the pot and transfer to a serving bowl; add a pat of butter to the top and cover with a lid to keep warm. Place roasted meat in the skillet with mushrooms.
Strain the remaining contents of the pot to capture the liquid for gravy. Once strained, skim the top to remove fat or use a fat separator (optional). Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.FLAVOR TIPS: If the flavor is too intense, add a little water. If the flavor tastes flat, add a little salt and pepper or transfer to a saucepan and reduce over medium heat to thicken—this will also concentrate the flavor.
Transfer the strained juices to a saucepan. Create a slurry of cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of cornstarch mixed with a little water; stir into the juices and bring to a low, gentle boil until gravy thickens (about 2 minutes).
Once the desired thickness is reached, add gravy to the skillet with the meat and mushrooms; let simmer uncovered 2-3 minutes while basting the meat. Salt and pepper as needed.
Serve the buttered potatoes and carrots on the side or arrange them on a large platter with the meat for family-style dining.
Notes
Serve with French green beans and hot dinner rolls.