Beef ala Mode

An aromatic and rustic dish bursting with color and flavor. The smell of it cooking will fill your entire house and welcome home your family.

Beef ala Mode

4 lbs beef stew meat, cubed
8 carrots, sliced
½ cup flour
1 ½ large sweet onions
1 ½ teaspoon salt
6 potatoes, quartered
½ teaspoon pepper
2 (1 lb 13 oz.) stewed tomatoes
3 tablespoons bacon fat
1 tablespoon dried sweet marjoram
1 tablespoom dried chervil (Optional)
1 tablespoom dried basil
1 tablespoom summer savory

325°. Roll meat cubes in mixture of flour, salt and pepper. Brown cubes in bacon fat. Arrange meat in a casserole dish. Add carrots, onion, potatoes and the pulp drained from the canned tomatoes. (Reserve tomato juice.)

Stir remaining seasoned flour into fat left in pan. When mixture bubbles add reserved tomato juice in gradually, stirring constantly. Cook until slightly thickened. Add herb mixture. (If you dislike seeing herb flecks in the liquid it may be tied in a square of cheesecloth.)

Pour liquid over meat and vegetables, adding, if necessary enough water to come one inch from top of casserole. Cover. Bake for 4 hours. The longer the cooking the better the dish. Serve over biscuits or with crusty bread.

**If you don’t know what chervil is, don’t worry. It's a relative of parsley with a faint licorice taste. It's often used in soups, omlettes and pultry dishes. Very popular in French cuisine.