Thursday - A dinner that says Fall to me and it's famous!

I fix this meal at the first sign of Fall every year and I think it's wonderful but I'll let you be the judge if you make it.  I used to travel on business several times a year and the company I worked for always put me up in the finest hotels.  One time I was in Chicago and I ate at a restaurant called Ed Debevic's.  It was a popular restaurant with a lot of the Chicago sports stars and I was hoping I might see some of my beloved Chicago Bears....alas, I did not, although their pictures were all over the restaurant.  What I did get was one of their famous recipes......Ed Debevic's Pot Roast.  When I had my farm and the kids were still at home I would fix it when the surrounding farms started harvesting.  The leaves would be changing and falling and the windows would be open and the smell of fall filled the house.  I always fixed a nice Sunday meal and this was a favorite!  So without further ado I give you

Ed Debevic's Pot Roast:
1 3-3 1/2 pound beef chuck arm roast (although I can't seem to find the word 'arm' on them anymore so I just buy a chuck roast. Bone in is the best for flavor but good luck finding that too!)
1/4 cup of flour
2 Tablespoons of oil
1 large Spanish onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 large cloves of garlic, sliced
1/2 bunch of celery, thick sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons , dried crushed thyme or 3/4 cup fresh sprigs
4 bay leaves
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 cup burgundy or dry red wine
2 cups of Aujus prepared from an envelope mix (I could not find it here so I ended up having to use beef broth)
1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and crushed red pepper (cayenne) ( I do not use that much cayenne as it can be really hot!  I think I use about 1/8 teaspoon as I do not like things too spicy but you be the judge)
For the gravy:
1/4 cup of flour
1 1/2 cups of water

Trim the fat off of the meat, season with some salt and pepper, coat with 1/4 cup or more of flour ( I mix the flour and salt and pepper in a pie dish and dredge the meat on both sides).  In a 4-5 quart dutch oven (I use my La Creuset dutch oven) brown the meat on both sides in hot oil.  Remove the meat to a plate and add the onions, garlic, celery, thyme and bay leaves to the drippings in the pan.  Cook and stir 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.  Stir in the tomato paste and wine, simmer and stir uncovered for 5 minutes.  Add the aujus, salt, pepper, and red pepper.  Bring to a boil, add the meat back in, cover and bake at 325 degrees F for 3 1/2 - 4 hours.  Remove the meat from the pan, discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.  Mix 1/4 cup of flour with the 1 1/2 cups of water.  Stir into the pan.  Cook until thick and bubbly, cook 1 minute more.  Serve with the meat.

 This meal will fill your entire house with the most luscious smell!  It is best served with mashed potatoes over which you can put some of the gravy.  I don't have the best pictures but trust me....I think this will become a family favorite!  I don't eat a lot of meat any more but I do make allowances for this special meal.  The meat is so tender you can cut it with a fork!

  mashed potatoes for sure.................

Any side will go with this but I happened to have 1 little summer squash left so I baked it in a greased casserole dish and sprinkled it with cheddar cheese.............this is before I baked it.....I think when dinner was ready I was so hungry I just 'had at it' and forgot about taking pictures! LOL!

I hope you enjoy this meal as much as my family and I have for many years!
BTW.....I got a little harvest of beans! LOL!

Also, as an aside, I don't always have milk in my house as I use Almond Milk or Cashew milk now a days but I usually keep some sour cream as it lasts much longer.  So when I make my mashed potatoes I use butter and sour cream when I mash them but you could also add a little water to the sour cream if you needed more liquid.  I also have a Kitchen Aide mixer but I find the old fashioned potato masher works best and I only dirty the pan that the potatoes were cooked in! 

That's all for now!  Bon Appetite!
Happy Trails!!!