POLYNESIAN BEEF ROAST

      3-4 lbs beef chuck roast      1 cup diagonally-sliced celery
      1 large onion, sliced         4 carrots, 3-4 inch strips
      1 cup pineapple juice         salt to taste
      ¼ cup soy sauce               ½ pound spinach, stems removed
      1-½ tsp ground ginger         2 cups sliced mushrooms
      ¼ tsp salt                    ¼ cup water
                                    2 tbsp cornstarch

In a shallow baking dish, cover meat with onion rings. Combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, ginger, and salt. Pour over meat and onions. Let stand one hour at room temperature, turning meat at 30 minutes.

Place meat and onions in Dutch oven. Pour pineapple mix over. Cover and simmer 2 to 2-½ hours until meat is tender. Add celery and carrots, sprinkle with salt to taste, bring to boiling, then simmer 20 minutes. Arrange spinach and mushrooms on top of meat and simmer another 10 minutes, until spinach is wilted and other vegetables are crisp-tender.

Remove meat and vegetables to heated platter; keep hot. Skim fat from juices. Blend water and cornstarch. Stir into juices and cook until thick and bubbly.

Adapted from “Better Homes & Gardens Meat Cook Book” (1969). Discover more vintage recipes at the Padgett Sunday Supper Club (clubpadgett.com)!