Christmas Spiced Beef

This recipe is from Jean. It's a great recipe for special days like Christmas.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 four- to five pound round or chuck roast
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground allspice
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• A few grindings of black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 3 cups hard cider
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1 bay leaf
• 4-6 onions, sliced
• 2-4 carrots, sliced
• 1-2 stalks celery, sliced
• Optional: 1 cup Guinness stout

Instructions:

1. Rub the salt into the meat. Cover with a bowl and let it sit refrigerated for 24 hours. Rinse and pat dry.
2. Rub the cinnamon, allspice, cloves, black pepper, and brown sugar into the meat. Place in a bowl and add cider, vinegar, bay leaf and 2 onions.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 2 or 3 days--a week is even better. Turn meat occasionally.
4. Place meat in a large pan with the marinade and enough water barely to cover.
5. Add remaining onions, carrots and celery. Cover pot and simmer for about 3 hours, or until meat is tender and fully cooked. If you like, add 1 cup of stout in the last hour of cooking.
6. Serve hot or cold.

(Yield: about 8 servings)