Beef a la Mode

(serves 10). Place a Dutch oven or heavy covered pot over medium-high heat. Add the veg. oil. Flour the beef on all sides and brown in the veg oil. Remove and set aside. Spread the vegetables in the bottom of the pot. Place the beef on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Add the parsley, bay leaf, and water. Cover closely and simmer for three hours. Remove the meat and slice it. Strain the juices, spoon some over the meat and serve the rest as a sauce. One of the tricks with pot roast is to keep it at just below a boil. If you don't the meat fibers toughen up and voila, tough pot roast. The vegetables in this recipe cook down to a gravy like sauce for the most part and not much straining (except for the bay and parsley) is required. We served the sauce over potatoes and it was truly wonderful--a total suprise to me since I've never really been a fan of pot roast. This recipe converted me! Good luck and happy cooking!