Roast Beef with Gravy

Usually I check out new cookbooks from the library before buying them but with Trisha Yearwood's cookbook I bought sight unseen. I have been a fan of Trisha for years and figured I'd want the book no matter what. Her cookbook is titled Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen. It's full of traditional American food which is right up my style. She suggests serving this roast over rice but I used egg noodles.

1 5 pound boneless chuck roast
salt and pepper to taste
1 large red onion, sliced
1/4 cup cider vinegar
4 tablespoons all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Line a 9X13X2 inch pan or your oven's broiler pan with a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil large enough to fully wrap the roast. The shiny side of the foil should be up. Sprinkle the roast on all sides with salt and pepper and place it in the center of the foil. Spread the onion slices over the top of the roast and pour vinegar around it. Bring the ends of the foil together and fold several times, then fold the ends together to completely enclose the roast. Pour about 1 inch water into the pan around the foil wrapped roast. Bake 3 to 4 hours, or until meat is fork-tender and brown. Check the water level in the pan regularly during cooking and replenish it if necessary. If any juice seeps from the foil seals during roasting, save it to use in making the gravy.

When the roast is done, remove the package from the baking pan and let it cool for a few minutes. Open the package carefully to preserve all the juices and transfer the meat to a platter; cover with a tent of foil to keep it warm while you make the gravy.

Pour the roasting juices into a measuring cup and let the fat rise to the surface. Skim off the fat, reserving 4 tablespoons in a saucepan and discarding the res. (If the fat measures less than 4 tablespoons, add enough butter to make up the difference.)

Measure the remaining defatted pan juices; if you have less than 2 cups, add water to make 2 cups.

Add the flour to the fat in the saucepan and stir with a wire whisk to make a roux. Cook over medium low heat until the flour is lightly browned, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the reserved pan juices and stir until thickened.

Slice the roast or cut it into chucks (it will be tender), and serve it with the gravy.