Pot Roast Beef

By the end of the eighteenth century the original meaning of à la mode (fashionable) had become irrevocably associated in cooking with a large cut of beef braised with wine and bones to make a rich gravy. In a primitive kitchen even this basic dish was not easy, hence Amelia Simmons warning to place the meat on top of the bones to avoid scorching on the bottom of the pan. She seals the pot with dough to prevent steam from escaping during cooking, then leaves the meat to marinate overnight i