Oven Beef Pot Roast with Prunes

I remember this was one of my favorite recipes in the early 90's?  I had the recipe on a newspaper clipping but alas could not find it in my overflowing binder of random food delights to conquer.  I remembered it was with whole pitted prunes, so I made this one up...

• 3 lb eye of round roast beef
• 1 onion, peeled, halved and sliced thinly
• 1 cup of dried pitted prunes, halved
• 1 cup of dried Turkish apricots, halved
• 2 chilies in adobo sauce, crushed
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup beef broth
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, added 1/2 way but would add in the beginning next time
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
• Fresh cilantro, chopped and for garnish, as desired
• Sprigs of fresh thyme, as desired
• Sprig of fresh rosemary, stripped from stem and chopped finely
• 1 bay leaf
• Flour and water slurry, for gravy

I tried to keep this simple.  I wasn't really happy that I had to use an eye of round roast, but that's what was in the freezer so that made the decision.  I patted it dry and seasoned it generously with S&P and wished I had a chuck/blade roast instead while doing so.  Haha.  I made this in a roasting pan, covered adding everything in above except the slurry.  Can't really get easier than that, can it?  

I decided to go low and slow, in the oven. 225°F for about 3 or 4 hours.  I would check on it.  At 2 hours I tasted the broth and basted.  It was spicy!  I added a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar and mixed.  Second taste was better and more balanced.    

I basted again at 3 hours.  At 3.5 hours, I tented the roast in foil while I finished  the taters and made gravy.  I fished out the herb stalks and bay leaf and reduced a little.  

The roast was okay, well done but tender enough.  

Glad I chose the adobos for this dish.  The sauce was spicy & sweet.  We enjoyed and it went well with mash.  Loved the cilantro finish on top, it brightened the flavors.  Next time I will omit the apricots and double the prunes.  The prunes reminded me why I loved this dish so much.  They softened and melted in beautifully.  The apricots were not needed at all and did not soften, melt or get "jammy" in the way I intended.  I should have saved them for a chicken dish...