Beef Pot Roast

 Beef pot roast

1 3-4 pounds beef pot roast

All purpose flour

Pepper

Salt

½ cup water

Potatoes, peeled and cut up

Small whole onions

Carrots, cut in 1 inch pieces

Trim excess fat from roast, reserve trimmings. Coat all sides of the roast with flour. Heat trimmings in Dutch oven till about 2 tablespoons hot fat accumulate, discard the trimmings. 

Add roast; brown slowly on all sides. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper, add water. Cover and roast in a 325 degree oven for 1 to 1½ hours. Add vegetables to meat. Cover and continue cooking for about 45 minutes or till meat and vegetables are tender. If desired, use pan juices to make pan gravy and make 6 to 8 servings. 

Tomato juice pot roast: prepare as above except add ½ cup tomato juice instead of water before cooking. If making gravy use tomato juice instead of water in cooking and for gravy. Season gravy with ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste.

Spice pot roast: prepare as above except slice 2 small onions over the meat after browning. Substitute ¼ cup vinegar and ¼ cup water for the ½ cup water; and 5 whole cloves and 2 bay leaves. Omit the small whole onions, if desired.