Braised beef from the Roman pot

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg beef, for braising, so not too lean.
• 1 bunch of soup vegetables
• 2 onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tsp herbs de Provence
• 1 tube(s) Tomato paste
• 3 tbsp mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper, freshly ground
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 4 tbsp broth, granulated (I use homemade)
• 1 liter of water (up to 1.5 L if needed)
• 100 g bacon, sliced
• Cream, optional

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 3 hours; Total time approx. 3 hours 30 minutes

few ingredients and little effort

First, fill the Roman pot with water, then bring the water for the stock to a boil and stir in the granulated stock so it’s not too hot afterward. Dice the onions and vegetables. Place the bacon in the bottom of the Roman pot, then add the onions and vegetables. Roughly mix in the tomato paste, all but 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and the Provençal herbs. Make a well for the meat. Season the meat well all over with pepper and salt and rub it with the mustard. Then place it on the bed of vegetables and sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Pour the stock onto the side. Put the lid on and place the Roman pot in a cold oven. Set the oven to 175°C and leave the roast for 3 hours. If the meat is tender after 3 hours, remove it and let it rest for a few minutes. Otherwise, leave it in the oven for longer. Simply stir the sauce through. It tastes delicious this way, but if you don’t like chunks, strain it through a sieve and then stir in a little cream. Then slice the meat and serve with the gravy. Mashed potatoes are delicious with it.