BRAISED POT ROAST OF BEEF

Steps:

• Tie roast firmly with string; brush all sides with oil and set on a jelly roll pan; brown slowly on all sides under the broiler; watch closely and do not burn.
• In a heavy saucepan, stir 5 T oil with the flour; continue stirring over moderate heat until roux turns a dark nutty brown,about 10 minutes, do not burn;remove from heat, let cool a bit and stir in beef stock; set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350°; using 2 tsp (less if using salted bouillon), salt the meat on all sides and set fat side up in a large, covered roaster or roasting pan with 3"-4" high sides.
• Place the vegetables, garlic and herb bouquet around the roast and pour in the wine and stock/roux mixture; add more stock if necessary to come almost halfway up the meat.
• Bring to a simmer on top of the stove; cover (use aluminum foil if necessary) and set in the lower third of the oven; bake 1/2 hour or until sauce is bubbling quietly; baste with the gravy and turn heat down to 325°.
• The gravy should continue bubbling gently throughout the cooking so regulate oven accordingly; baste and check every 1/2 hour for another 2 hours; begin testing for doneness with a meat thermometer; remove pan from oven.
• Allow roast to rest 1/2 hour, basting every 10 minutes and turning it several times; remove roast from pan; sieve contents of roaster into a saucepan and squeeze juices out of the braised vegetables into the saucepan.
• Simmer liquid and skim fat from its surface for 1/2 hour; simmer down until the sauce coats a spoon as it will the meat; taste for seasoning and strength; if necessary thin with more stock or thicken with 2T or more of potato flour or cornstarch stirred into several spoons of stock or wine, simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• (Roast may be carved and served at this point but is better if cooked several hours or a day in advance).
• If not serving immediately, pour the sauce around the meat, cover with foil and refrigerate; the roast may be reheated whole or sliced and sauced.
• To reheat whole, cover the meat closely and place in a 300° oven or simmer it over very low heat on top of the stove, turning it every 15 minutes until internal temperature is 120°, about 30-40 minutes; just before serving, cut and discard the trussing string.
• To reheat sliced and sauced, return the sliced beef and sauce to the roaster or a large baking pan; cover; baste with the sauce every 10 minutes and warm through slowly in a 300° oven.