Perfect Roast Beef

Tender, juicy, rare roast beef--is there anything better or more comforting on a cold winter's day?  I guess you could say I was raised on roast beef.  For pretty much my entire childhood and teen years, Mom made a roast every Sunday like clockwork.  It was good, hearty fare, but like most of the meats we ate back then, Mom made her roasts pretty close to well done.  I cringe a little bit at that now, but we didn't know any better then.

However, when we would go out to a little British themed place called the Piccadilly Café, the roast beef they carved up there was pink--maybe even red in the center.  They served it up dripping with natural gravy and--don't tell Mom--but I liked it better.  It was so much more flavorful, succulent and savory.  I'd had my first encounter with rare beef--what beef is supposed to taste like.

Years later, as an adult, I tried to replicate this rare beef, but at first I didn't have much success.  Sure, I used a meat thermometer, and cooked my roast to a rare temp, but it was only rare in the center, and pretty much well done the rest of the way through.  What I wanted was that nice, pink rareness throughout the roast.  To achieve this, I took a lesson from my brisket smoking technique and tried doing things low and slow--low temperature cooking for a longer time.

This proved to be the key.  Roasting it lower means the roast will cook much more even, and be rare almost to the edge.  Keeping the meat at this lower range of temperatures for a longer time also allows the meat's natural enzymes to break down things a bit, further tenderizing the roast.

So, let's get started.  First, select your meat.  I've found the traditional beef chuck cut to be a little too fatty for my tastes--I go for the round or rump cuts.  Beef round is composed of three different muscles, which--when cut into roasts are referred to as Top Round, Bottom Round and Eye of Round.  I've tried each of these, and all do nicely with this technique, with perhaps the eye being the best.  All three have a rich beef flavor and, while a little tough, they tenderize up nicely with this slow cooking technique.

Ingredients

4 lbs Round Roast (Top, Bottom or Eye of)
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
4 Carrots, Chopped
2 Potatoes, Cubed

Any of the Round Roasts work great.  Here I'm using Top Round.  

Preheat Oven to 225˚F

Heat Olive Oil in a skillet.  We're gonna first brown the outside of the roast.  This will develop some of the flavors we want in the roast.

Salt and Pepper the Roast

If it's got a fat layer on it, you can either remove it or keep it, cutting some slits into it to keep it from warping duing cooking.

Sear the roast in the olive oil on all sides.

Place on wire rack over roasting pan.  If you cut fat from the roast, don't discard it--place these pieces on the rack with the roast.

They will render additional drippings in which you can roast veggies.

Roast for an hour at 225˚F.  Then toss the  veggies in olive oil and place in pan under roast.

There should be some nice drippings in there now that will cook and flavor the veggies.

Roast until internal temperature of meat reaches 115F. About two hours total time.

Turn off oven and let roast continue to cook in cooling oven until internal temp reaches 125F

Slice the roast against the grain in thin slices

Note how there is pink almost to the edge of the roast--thanks to the low and slow cooking technique.
The veggies should look like this now:

If they don't--return them to the oven for a few minutes at 450˚F to brown them a bit while you carve your roast.

Serve with the veggies. And maybe some Yorkshire Puddings, if you like.

.

Until Next Time,

Eat ya some beef!

Chris

Yorkshire Pudding

On the very first day of my very first visit to Europe, I was walking around bleary-eyed and jet-lagged in London.  My flight had arrived at 7 a.m., and as it was too early to check into my hotel, I stowed my bags and just wandered around gazing at the sights.  Finally, 11 a.m. arrived, and that meant the pubs were opening.  It was time for my first beer in the U. K.

I found a little pub near Saint James Square called The Red Lion.  It was tucked away in a little alley, and was quite tiny itself.  I believe I was the first customer of the day.  Well, I'd planned on having just one beer and heading to the hotel, but you know how it is, one beer led to another, and soon I was chatting away with some of the Londoners having their lunch.

The Red Lion Pub, with its proprietor (left) and a patron (June 1994)

As I chatted with one businessman bloke who was downing the beers on company time faster than me, I saw a waiter walk by with what looked like some sort of a steaming bowl of stew, and the bowl was made out of some bread-like substance.  I asked the local man what it was.  "Yorkshire pudding," he said.  I ordered one--it was divine.  I can still taste that beefy, bready "pudding," which the pub had filled with roast beef, veggies and gravy.

Now, here in The States, pudding is a sort of sweet, creamy paste-like substance that we eat for dessert.  But in the U.K., its more of a savory puff pastry made from flour.  A traditional accompaniment to roast beef.  I think I like theirs better.

I started making my own little Yorkshires a few years ago, and the wife and I always enjoy them with our roast beef.  They are simple to make, I discovered, and always come out delicious.

Yorkshire Pudding

1.5 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup milk
3 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup rendered beef fat or lard

Note this baby calls for rendered beef fat.  Not really something you have lying around, I know.  If you don't, you can substitute lard, but the Yorkshire Puddings will come out a bit different.  (more on that soon)  For me, when I smoke a brisket, I always save the beef fat that renders out for other uses.  After the brisket is done, I chill it in the fridge, and the fat rises to the surface of the surrounding area and solidifies.  I then break it off in chunks and freeze it til I need it.

Smoked Brisket--note the fat that has rendered and solidified around the meat when it cooled.  I used to throw this out.  Not anymore.  Now I break it up in chunks and freeze it for future use.

I can tell you it makes some flavorful Yorkshire puddings.  (also great for frying or roasting potatoes)

Anyhoo, to start, mix the flour and salt, then add milk and mix.  Beat eggs in separate bowl then whisk into flour mixture.  Mix in water.  Let this sit for over an hour.

When ready to cook, place about a teaspoon of the beef fat (or lard) in each cup of a muffin tin.

Place this in a 500 degree oven for a few minutes to heat the pan and drippings.  Then open the oven and carefully ladle the pudding mixture into each cup.  Fill each cup about halfway full.  (these babies will expand!)

Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes, until puddings are literally popping out of their cups.

Earlier, I mentioned that using beef fat vs lard will produce different results.  Well, that happened for me, anyway.  With the lard I got a lighter, fluffier pudding that tasted fine but was maybe just a little more bland than with the beef fat.   These are pictured in the photo above and also below:

With the beef fat I got a denser pudding that didn't puff quite as much, but it had a great beefy flavor that was accentuated by a hint of smoke (this was smoked brisket fat, after all)  These are pictured below:

Either way you make them, be sure to serve them with a nice beefy main course like Roast Beef.

I haven't tried it yet, but I plan to make some larger puddings in pie tins and serve the roast beef inside them, just like I had in London all those years ago.  I'll report back when I do.

Until next time,


Cheers!


Chris

Mini Salisbury Steaks

Salisbury Steak has sort of had a bad rap over the years, most likely because most of us first encountered it in it fetid school cafeteria form, or else maybe as a frozen hockey puck of a steak in a Swanson TV dinner.  Things like this can tarnish an otherwise good reputation.  But truth be told, Salisbury Steak done right is a pleasure to be had.  Now, I know, we are using the term ‘steak’ here a little loosely—after all, this ain’t a prime, butcher-cut filet mignon, it’s ground beef, but seasoned and sauced correctly, this baby will satisfy. 

I first encountered a good—hell, I’ll even say great—Salisbury steak when my wife cooked one for me early in our marriage.  I remember when she mentioned that she was making Salisbury steak, I sort of cringed, thinking of those TV dinner ‘gems.’  But of course, her steak was wonderful, and opened me up to the possibility that things can be better than their lowest common denominator. 

I’ve never attempted to make Salisbury Steak—hers was so good that I’ll leave that dish to her, but here’s a different version that I half-stole and bastardized into my own that I present to you now:  Mini-Salisbury Steaks. 

The original recipe I started with made Salisbury Steak meatballs, but I decided that if I pressed ‘em flat into little disks (or ‘steaks,’ by cracky) then they might cook a little more evenly, and thus, the ‘mini’ Salisbury Steak was born.  I hope you’ll enjoy it:

Mini Salisbury Steaks

8 ounces egg noodles

1 pound ground beef

1/3 cup Italian style bread crumbs

2 tablespoon ketchup

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 large egg yolks

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the Gravy

2 cups beef broth, divided

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon ketchup

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Start some water boiling for the egg noodles.  Add the ground beef to a bowl and then add the breadcrumbs, ketchup, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, egg yolks and salt/pepper, 

Mix thoroughly.  

Then take a palmful portion and pat out into a patty about two inches across.  

Place this on a tray or plate and continue making patties until all the meat mixture is used up.  

Melt butter in a skillet.  

Sauté the patties, a few at a time, 

until they are slightly seared and cooked through.  

Reserve patties and keep hot.  

Add addtional butter if necessary to skillet, then sauté your onions.  

Until they are soft and slightly browned.  

Add the rest of the ingredients from the 'gravy ingredients list' except for the cornstarch and parsley.  Simmer for a few minutes, then mix the cornstarch with an ounce or two of warm water, then pour this in the gravy to thicken.  

Serve the mini Salisbury steaks over the egg noodles with plenty of the flavorful gravy and some flakes of the minced parsley.  

Until next time, 

Chris

Carbonade of Beef

This rich beef stew is a traditional Belgian dish that you'll find on the hob at most decent pubs around Brussels and similar towns.  It's a great complement to the hundreds of different Belgian beers one is wont to imbibe when traveling through Europe's unofficial capitol.  Yes, Belgium is a beer mecca even more than Germany or the Czech Republic.  I've been to some pubs in Belgium offering in excess of 700 distinct beers.

With so much liquid refreshment to try, you'll probably want to put a little something on your stomach.  This dish works quite well, particularly since its made with some of said beer.


Carbonade of Beef

1-2 Pounds Beef, Cubed (Chuck or Round)
1/4 Cup Flour
4 Tablespoons Butter
1 Large Onion, Diced
4-5 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 Bottle Dark Beer (Belgian Style Oud Bruin or Flanders Red, if possible)
2 Cups Beef Stock
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
A Few Sprigs Thyme
Bay Leaf


Use a nice quality piece of beef.  I'm using eye of round today as it is nice and lean yet still pretty flavorful.  Cube it up,

Then toss the cubes of beef in flour.  Melt the butter in a good-sized Dutch oven and sauté the beef cubes until nicely browned.

Reserve the beef

and add the diced onion to the butter/beef drippings in the pot and cook until translucent and somewhat caramelized, perhaps fifteen minutes or so over medium heat.

Add garlic about five minutes before the onions are done.

When the onions are perfect, add the beer

and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen browned bits.  As I mentioned above, this beef stew should really have a proper Belgian beer like an oud bruin or Flanders Red to make it authentic.  Today I was fresh out of Belgian beer, so I subbed the next best dark beer I could find, a Guinness.

This is okay, but really, don't be like me and instead plan ahead and find a decent liquor store and get a proper Belgian beer.

Anyhoo, add the beef stock and brown sugar.

Return the beef to the pot.

Next, add the vinegar.

Yes, I know I called for Red Wine vinegar in the ingredients list, but I was fresh out of that too, so I subbed Balsamic.  I'm really bastardizing this today, eh?

Add the fresh thyme and bay leaf.

Cover the pot with its lid and place in a 350˚F oven and let it cook away for at least an hour and half, two if possible.  Check the pot from time to time to make sure there is still some liquid in it.  Add more beef stock if it is running low.  Remove the bay leaf and thyme when dish is finished.

Serve this dish simply, with some good crusty bread or maybe some butter noodles, as we've done here.

And don't forget that beer to wash it down with!

Until next time,

Cheers!

Chris

Swedish Meatballs

Swedish Meatballs always call to mind the 1970s.  They were a fad party dish back then, like Fondue for Shish Kabobs.  But don’t write ‘em off like you did your old bell bottom jeans or rhinestone disco jacket.  Swedish Meatballs are savory and delicious and a lot of fun to serve.  (so are fondue and shish kabobs, but those are for another time) 

Swedish Meatballs have a really unique flavor that’s worlds apart from your run-o-the-mill (or perhaps it’s run-o-the-meal) meatball that accompanies your spaghetti and depends on a fab sauce for its flavor.  Nutmeg and Allspice play a key role here in these little balls o flavor, and the sauce ain’t half bad either.  So put on some Bee Gees, or better yet, some ABBA, and get to cooking. 

Swedish Meatballs

1 Cup Breadcrumbs
2/3 Cup Milk
1 Large Onion, Finely Minced
4 Tablespoons Butter
2 Eggs
1 Lb Lean Ground Beef
1 Lb Ground Pork
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Allspice
1/4 Teaspoon Cardamom
2 Tablespoons Olive or Vegetable Oil
1/4 Cup Flour
16 Oz Beef or Veal Stock
1/2 Cup Sour CreamPreheat oven to 375F

Add your bread crumbs to a small bowl.  

Add the milk and mix thoroughly.  

Set aside for 15 minutes or so until the bread crumbs absorb all the milk.  Melt one tablespoon of the butter in a skillet.  

While this is melting, mince your onion finely.  I like to halve it, then quarter the half onion, 

and then use this little device (a Slap Chop!)

to really mince the onion finely, almost making it a paste.  

Repeat with the other half of the onion and then sauté the onion paste for a few minutes to build flavor.  

Remove from heat and let cool. 

Add the cooled onions to a large mixing bowl, then add the eggs, ground beef, ground pork, salt, nutmeg, pepper, allspice and cardamom.  

Finally add the milk and breadcrumb mixture to this, then using your hands, knead and mix the whole affair until the spices and other ingredients are thoroughly incorporated into the meats. 

Next, begin forming your meatballs!  Grab a palm-full of the meat mixture and form it into a nice ball.  

We’re making these a little larger than what we would for meatballs destined for spaghetti—make them about two inches across for more-than-a-mouthful greatness.  Pack the balls as tightly as possible so that they will stay together for the next step.

Make as many meatballs as you have mixture.  This recipe should make about 16-20 meatballs.

Heat your oil in a skillet and then sauté the meatballs 

in batches, turning them all around....   

...until they are well browned on all sides.

Transfer them to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.  Since the meatballs are so thick, we are going to roast them to finish cooking the meat on the inside.  Place in the 375F oven and roast for 20 minutes or so, or until a meat thermometer reads 150F in the center of a meatball.    

While the meatballs are cooking in the oven, make your gravy.  Add the other three tablespoons of butter to skillet 

and when it has melted, sift in the flour.  

Let this cook a moment or two, then stir it a bit, then slowly add the beef stock.  (if you have access to veal stock, use that for even better flavor)  Let this mixture simmer for a bit to thicken, and adjust flavor with salt and pepper if necessary. 

When the meatballs are done, 

platter then up and cover them with the sauce.  Serve immediately. 

We like to serve them simply, on top of some nice butter noodles.  

Until Next Time,

Chris