Crumble the ground beef into a skillet and brown with the onions. If beef is very lean, add a tablespoon or two of cooking oil.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Add flour, a tablespoon at a time, stirring and cooking each spoonful, before adding the next. The flour must be cooked to preclude a starchy taste throughout. Add enough flour to absorb the most of the oil.
Stir in the tomatoes and the tomato juice, followed by the water.
Allow to simmer on low heat to thicken.
Adjust consistency as necessary.
