Beef pot roast

1. Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F)

2. Use a large ovenproof pan/stockpot.

3. Seal the meat on all sides in pan of hot fat/oil and place to side. This coats the pan in lovely meat juices.

4. Fry the peeled and chopped vegetables for a few minutes, which takes up the meat juices, then add the stock, plus salt and pepper to taste and stir well. The stock should just cover the vegetables layer, but the meat should not sit in the liquid.

Cover with a lid and cook in a slow oven for about 2 and a half hours. Check the liquid level and add more if necessary.

5. Test to see if it is done by piercing with a skewer. If the juice is pinkish, continue to cook until clear.

6. Other vegetables can be added before the end of the cooking time, eg potatoes/sweet potatoes approx 25 mins before end.

7. To serve:
Drain the majority of the stock, thicken it in a separate pan with a little slaked cornflour or flour, then return it to the pot to mix it back in with the meat and vegetables. Another alternative much favoured by Uncle Neil was to cook it the night before, and once cold, slice the meat into the dish, then thicken and reheat to serve with freshly cooked potatoes and yorkshire puddings.