Beef Pot Roast Recipe

Tie the meat securely, pat dry with kitchen paper and season with salt and pepper. Heat the lard in a large flameproof casserole and fry the meat until browned on all sides.

Add the onion and water, bring to the boil, cover and cook in a preheated oven at 150C/300F/gas mark 2 for 2 hours, basting occasionally. Remove the meat, add the carrots and onions then place the meat back on top of them. Cover and return to the oven for a further 1 hour until the meat is tender.

Transfer the meat and vegetables to a warmed serving plate and keep them warm. Remove the cloves from the onion. Skim off any excess fat from the cooking liquid, add the stock and bring to the boil, stirring to scrape up all the meat juices from the base of the pan. Strain the sauce into a warmed sauce boat and serve with the beef.