I’ve made this dish four times from a recipe that Paul’s mom, Diane, gave me earlier this year (plus she make it for us when we visited Buffalo in September). I’ve slightly adapted her recipe, but not by much.

Make this. It’s deceptively good.

Diane’s Roast with Pickles

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (Diane uses peanut oil)
• 3 lbs. bottom or top round roast
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper (Diane uses peppercorns instead of ground pepper — I’ve tried that in the past but I didn’t like biting into them in the finished dish)
• 2-3 large bay leaves
• 2-3 cups beef stock
• 5-7 dill pickles, chopped (depends on your preference — we like lots of pickles)
• 1 cup sour cream
• Serve over: cooked noodles, rice, or braised cabbage

Heat coconut oil in a Dutch oven* (see my note below if you don’t have a Dutch oven) over med-high heat.

Cut the roast into bite-size pieces (you can wait to cut up the meat before serving if you prefer, but the meat will take longer to cook — at the very least, cut the meat into large chunks; don’t leave it whole). Brown the roast pieces in the hot oil.

Add remaining ingredients except for the sour cream.

(Note: The above measurements aren’t precise because there are various factors — you may not have exactly 3 lbs of meat, you may prefer more or less sauce. We like to have a lot of sauce, so I tend to add more broth and sour cream.)

Place lid on the Dutch oven and simmer for at least 1 hour (if you don’t use a Dutch oven, it may take longer — 1.5 to 2 hours), or until the meat is fully cooked and very tender. Add the sour cream, and simmer for at least 15 minutes longer.

Remove the bay leaves. Serve over noodles, rice, or braised cabbage.

* If you don’t have a Dutch oven, you can brown the meat in a regular skillet and then transfer the meat to a covered casserole dish before adding the remaining ingredients. I didn’t realize you could use a casserole dish on a stovetop, but that’s the way Diane does it!