Dean van A’s Pot Roast

Dean van Alstyne (or just “van A” to his students) was an institution at my college, WPI.  Not only did he have an incredible memory and know everyone’s name, schedule, and home town, but he baked for us and would invite students to his house for dinner.  I was lucky to get to know him quite well, and this is a delicious dish he made for a group of us one frigid New England winter night. – Terry

Ingredients

• 3½ – 4 pound pot roast (cheap cut)
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup bouillon
• 1 cup whole cranberry jelly
• ½ cup horseradish sauce
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 8 medium onions, cut in half
• package of carrots, quartered (or use baby carrots to save time)

Instructions

Combine flour, salt and pepper and dredge roast in mixture on all sides including the side with fat.  In a separate bowl, mix together boullion, cranberry jelly and horse radish sauce. 

Brown the roast in ¼ cup oil on stove top over high heat.  Pour off oil.  Add bouillon, cranberry and horseradish mixture, then cloves and cinnamon.  Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours.  After the first 1½ hours, add onions (browned in oil first).  Sauté carrots for 2 minutes then add to roast with the onions for the last half hour.