Giant stuffed beef roll, braised, with a cornstarch-thickened braising sauce

Trim the gristle and fat off two and a half pounds of top round.

Slice the beef open like a book and pound it to three quarters to one inch thick, 12 inches by six wide; this piece came out 12 by eight.

Spread the Dijon and the Italian seasoning over the whole surface and set the beef aside.

Wilt the spinach in a pot of boiling salted water for around three minutes, then rinse with cold water to stop it cooking.

Mince the onion.

Cook the onions in the butter over moderately low heat until tender but not browned.

Add the spinach, turn the heat up and cook a few minutes to evaporate the remaining moisture.

Dice the ham and saute it a few minutes to drive off the water.

Split the sausage casings and keep the meat.

Combine the cloves, mace, paprika, thyme, basil, cinnamon, marjoram, white pepper and broken-up bay for the spice blend.

Work the thyme and bay in a mortar and pestle, then pass the blend through a sieve.

Beat the greens and onions, sausage meat, diced ham, egg, black pepper, salt, breadcrumbs, mashed garlic and half a teaspoon of the spice blend together vigorously.

Saute a little of the stuffing to cook the sausage meat through and taste it for seasoning.

Blanch the bacon in simmering water about 10 minutes to draw out the excess salt and the cure and smoke flavour.

Spread the stuffing over the butterflied beef, keeping a one-inch border around the edges.

Roll loosely into a sausage shape about four inches in diameter, then fold over the two ends.

Wrap the bacon around the roll, over the seam and the end pieces.

Tie the roll with kitchen twine, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill it a couple of hours; pat dry before cooking.

Melt lard in an oval cooking vessel over moderate heat and coat the base.

Brown the bottom of the roll seam side up with chopped carrot and onion strewn around it, loosening it with a spatula and basting the top with the fat.

Brown the top uncovered in a 450F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, basting every three minutes or so.

Season with salt, pepper and more of the same herbs.

Pour in two cups of beef stock with dry white wine and vermouth, enough that the liquid comes around halfway up the beef.

Bring to a simmer, cover with foil and the lid, and braise at 325F for an hour and a half to two hours, basting every so often.

Side: cover the carrot with stock, sugar, pepper and butter, bring to a boil and reduce the liquid to a syrupy consistency, lid on, 30 to 40 minutes until tender.

Side: cut the mushrooms down, heat butter and oil over high heat and add the mushrooms once the butter foams; shake until lightly browned and season with salt and pepper.

Check that a knife pierces the meat easily, lift the roll onto a platter, cut off the string and remove the bacon; cover with foil and hold in the turned-off oven.

Strain the braising liquid into a sauce pan, holding back the vegetables, and measure out two cups.

Mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of vermouth to a slurry; settle the braising liquid in a fat separator and leave the fat behind.

Add the slurry to the hot liquid, bring to a boil and simmer a few minutes until thickened; off the heat, beat in two tablespoons of butter a little at a time.

Set the roll seam side down, arrange the carrots and mushrooms under the beef and spoon sauce over the meat.