Bavarian Pot Roast

The chill of winter still looms around us, so I needed something to bake long and slow to warm the kitchen with a homey scent. The flavours are like Rouladen with out all the fuss. We have cut down on red meat considerably, so if we are going to eat red meat, it has to taste really good. The boys were thrilled to see beef at the table and every last bite was savoured. According to them this was a post worthy recipe. So I hope your family enjoys it too.

3 lbs of a roast, trimmed well so there is little fat

1 tbsp. oil

4 carrots cut according to your liking, sliced or in sticks

2 onions diced

2 celery stalks, sliced (I didn't have any)

3/4-1 cup chopped dill pickles

1 c. beef broth

1/3 c. German Style Mustard ( I used grainy Dijon)

2 bay leaves

coarse black pepper to taste

1/4 tsp. ground cloves ( I used only a pinch)

2 tbsp. flour

2 tbsp. water

Trim fat from roast. Brown in large Dutch oven, in hot oil. Cover with vegetables and pickles. In a small bowl, combine broth, mustard, pepper, cloves and bay leaves. Pour over meat. Bake in a 325 oven for 4 hours or in a slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours/high for 4-5 hours. Remove meat from cooker and place on plate to keep warm.

Gravy: Transfer veggies to another bowl. Put cooking liquid in a sauce pan or leave it in the dutch oven. Skim fat. Remove bay leaves. Stir flour and 2 tbsp. water or broth together. Stir in to pan and cook for till thickened and the raw taste of the flour is gone, about 2 minutes or so.

Serve sliced meat surrounded by veggies and serve over spaetzle or noodles. Garnish with crisp bacon if desired, I omitted that and served it over whole wheat yolk free noodles.