ONLINE EXTRA: Beef, Elk or Venison Pot Roast . . . Mama's and Michael's Meat Sauce

Beef, Elk or Venison Pot Roast

1 boneless beef pot roast (chuck, shoulder or round), 2½ to 3 pounds, cut to fit pot or crock, as needed

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1¼ cups water, divided

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon instant beef bullion

1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

12 ounces new potatoes or 2 medium sweet potatoes

1 pound carrots or 6 medium parsnips, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 onions, cut into wedges

2 ribs celery, bias-cut to 1-inch

¼ cup all-purpose flour

Trim fat from meat. Brown meat on all sides in hot oil in a 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven. Drain fat. Mix ¾ cup of the water, Worcestershire, bouillon, basil and salt. Pour over roast.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour.

Peel a strip of skin at center of each new potato or peel and quarter sweet potatoes. Add the potatoes, carrots, onions and celery to pot. Return to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer covered, until tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Add water as needed.

Transfer meat and vegetables to platter. Reserve juices.

To prepare the gravy, measure juices, skim off fat, and add enough water to make 1½ cups. Return to Dutch oven.

In a small bowl, stir the ½ cup water into the flour. Stir in pan juices. Cook, stirring, on medium heat until thickened, then 1 minute more. Season to taste. Serve with pot roast.

For oven cooking, bake, covered, for 1 hour at 325 degrees. Prepare potatoes as directed. Add vegetables to meat. Bake, covered, to tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Make gravy.

For slow-cooker cooking, trim fat from meat. Slice vegetables into a 4- to 5-quart crockery cooker. Put meat on top. Mix the ¾ cup water, Worcestershire, bouillon, basil and salt and add to cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours or on High for 5 to 6 hours. Prepare gravy as above.

Yield: Serves 10.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving (with beef): 307 calories, 35 grams protein, 17 grams carbohydrates, 10 grams fat, 100 milligrams cholesterol, 298 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber.

Mama's and Michael's Meat Sauce

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped fine

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 28-ounce cans ready-cut tomatoes

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

1 pound lean ground beef

1 teaspoon thyme

10 fresh mushrooms, diced

In a saucepan, heat oil and lightly brown onion, carrot and garlic.

Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, pepper and sugar. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes.

While sauce is simmering, brown ground beef in skillet over medium-high heat, drain off fat.

Add meat and thyme to tomato mixture. Cover and simmer ½ hour, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and cook another 10 minutes.

Yield: About 2 quarts.