BEEF ROAST BRAISED WITH ONIONS

BEEF ROAST BRAISED WITH ONIONS image

Yield 4 - 6

Number Of Ingredients 6

1/4 lb. pancetta OR salt pork in a single piece
2 lbs. boneless beef roast, preferably the brisket
5 cloves
4 medium onions sliced very, very thin
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill

Steps:

*Preheat oven to 325ºF *Cut the pancetta or salt pork into narrow strips about 1/4 inch wide. Use half the strips to lard the meat with a larding needle, or by an alternative method as suggested in the introductory remarks above. *Insert cloves at random into any 5 of the places where the pancetta was inserted *Choose a heavy-bottomed pot just large enough to accommodate the roast snugly. Spread the sliced onion on the bottom of the pot, over it distribute the remaining strips of pancetta or salt pork, then put in the meat. Season liberally with salt and pepper, and cover tightly. If the lid does not provide a tight fit, place a sheet of aluminum foil between it and the pot. Put on the uppermost rack of the preheated oven. *Cook for about 3-1/2 hours, until the meat feels very tender when prodded with a fork. Turn the roast after the first 30 minutes, and every 30 to 40 minutes thereafter. You will find that the color of the meat is dull and unlovely at first, but as it finishes cooking and the onions become colored a dark brown it develops a rich, dark patina. *When done, slice the meat and arrange the slices on a warm platter. Pour the contents of the pan and the juices left on the cutting board over the meat, and serve at once.