FLAP MEAT MARINADE

 Juice of 2 limes

4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 TBS vinegar

2 LBS flap meat

In a Ziploc bag, Mix together all ingredients except meat.

Add meat to bag ensuring all is covered with marinade.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours to overnight.

Grill to desired doneness.

Pot Roast

1 2-3 LB (approx.) boneless beef chuck roast
1 large onion, diced
1 lb whole baby carrots
3 stalks celery, cut into chunks

1 - 1 1/2 cups beef broth

In a large frying pan, heat about 2 TBS vegetable or olive oil.  Season meat well with salt, pepper and Santa Maria seasoning.
Brown the roast well on the front, back, and all sides.
Transfer meat to a large crockpot.  Include drippings and as much of the browned bits as possible.
Add 1/2 - 1 cup beef broth
add vegetables - scoot as many down the sides of the roast as possible... some may be left on top.
Cook on LOW for 4 - 6 hours** as needed until meat is tender & can easily be pulled apart.
A combination of 4 hours on high and 1 or 2 hours on low may be used, but LOW is better.
**If possible, rearrange vegetables during cooking time to ensure doneness.

FOR A 4 LB ROAST, COOK ON LOW 8 - 10 HOURS.

A 4 LB roast WILL feed 8 people (G's fam)

For Gravy:
When roast is done, remove meat and vegetables to a 9 X 13 dish and cover to keep warm. Transfer cooking liquid to a saucepan.
Taste the cooking liquid - if it tastes weak and not rich enough, boil in saucepan until it reduces down some, tasting as you go.
When liquid is at the desired richness, whisk together 2 TBS flour and enough cold water to make a runny paste.
Gradually add the flour paste to lightly boiling liquid and cook until desired gravy thickness... You may not need all the flour mixture, or you may have to make more depending on how much liquid you had.  I sometimes strain the gravy if it's not very smooth.

Serve with mashed potatoes.

My mom made pot roast nearly every Sunday.  She cooked it in our electric frying pan and would brown it and get it ready so that it cooked while we were at church.  We'd come home and the whole house smelled heavenly of roast and vegetables.  Then she would prepare the potatoes... Either baked or mashed.  Either method took WAY too long while we were waiting to dig into that roast!  She said she made the roast exactly how her mom had made it when she was growing up except that her mom cooked it in the oven.  So three generations, three cooking methods, same wonderful taste!

Perfect Prime Rib Roast

1 standing (bone-in) rib roast
Salt, pepper, Santa Maria (house type) seasoning
Good meat thermometer

1.  Remove roast from refrigerator 3 hours before cooking.
Sprinkle salt, pepper, and seasoning all over and let it sit.
Roast should be brought close to room temperature before cooking.

2.  Preheat oven to 500°.
Place roast, fat side UP (ribs down) in a baking pan.
Insert meat thermometer into thickest part of the roast,
making sure it does not touch bone.

3.  Brown roast in 500° degree oven for 15 minutes.
Reduce heat to 325°.
Roast 12 to 14 minutes per pound until thermometer reads 120° for rare.
Temperature will continue to rise after removing roast  from oven,
so do not overcook.
Allow roast to rest 30 minutes before carving.
(adapted from simplyrecipes.com)

Beef Stew

BEEF STEW
This will make a pretty big pot-full.  You can just do 1/2 a recipe if you don't want that much.

2 1/2 LBS stew beef, cut into chunks
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup oil
1 large onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups water
4 beef bouillon cubes
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
5 medium potatoes, peeled & cut into chunks
1 16-oz bag baby carrots, cut into chunks
4 stalks celery, trimmed & cut into chunks

In a 6-qt pot, heat oil to medium-high.
Toss beef chunks in flour, reserve any remaining flour
Brown 1/3 beef chunks in oil, remove to paper towel to drain.  Brown remaining 2/3  beef (in 2 batches), following the same steps.
Reduce heat to medium.
To drippings in pan, add onion and garlic; cook and stir about 3 minutes until onion is almost tender.
Stir in reserved flour.
Add water, bouillon, salt, pepper, and worcestershire sauce; cook and stir until slightly thickened.
Add meat, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer about 2 hours or until beef is tender**
**I use Costco beef stew meat, and it is very good quality, so I never have to simmer it longer than about 1/2 an hour.  You can test a bite every now and then to see if it's done.  May not have to cook it anywhere near 2 hours.
Add remaining vegetables, heat to boiling, reduce to low, cover, and simmer about 30 minutes until all vegetables are tender.
If not thick enough, you may add a little flour (2 or so TBS) mixed with cold water (should be soupy, not too thick) - stir in and heat until at desired thickness.

Perfect Tri-Tip Oven Roast

Season well the outside of roast according to taste.
(Salt, pepper, Santa Maria Seasoning)
Place roast in baking dish.
Roast at 325 for 25 minutes per pound for medium rare.