| WINNING ROASTS |
Aroast is a celebration. It is a Sunday supper or holiday dinner, an event that usually means you have a crowd to feed. Perhaps it is for this reason that I used to feel anxious about roasts. They were larger than any other piece of beef I’d ever cooked and each one was unique in shape. Nor could I peek to see what was happening deep inside: there’s no fiddling with a roast, and the entire meal rested on it. But, after a year of regular roasting, I’ve learned that a good roast is simply a matter of preserving moisture within the meat. With just a few tools, my anxieties evaporated and I found roasts to be the most hands-off meats to cook. Once seasoned and in the oven at the appropriate temperature, they allowed me to mingle and enjoy the occasion—and always provided leftovers.
A roast is both a cooking method and a beef cut. Roasting is an ancient technique of cooking over an open flame. Modern ovens roast using dry radiant heat, typically 400°F and up for achieving a handsome crust on large, naturally tender and marbled cuts. But, dry-heat roasting can also occur at low temperatures—300°F and below. Called slow-roasting, it is useful and beneficial for the leanest large cuts, primarily from the round, or hindquarter. (In fact, if you’re ever uncertain how to cook any roast, slow-roasting is the way to go.)
These recipes create feasts for sharing—with enough for roast beef sandwiches the next day or for Bobotie (page 156), Baked Argentinian Empanadas (page 159), or Shepherd’s Pie (page 86). Also, you can use leftover roast beef in many of the recipes in Chapter 6: Global Beef Cuisine.
In these pages you’ll find a whole range of methods for cooking the largest beef cuts, from seared Grassfed 4-Bone Rib Roast on Hay and Herbs (page 204) to Smoked Brisket with Tangy Barbecue Sauce (page 222). There are roasts to cook with high heat, including Roast Beef Stuffed with Red Onions, Mushrooms, and Barley (page 210) and others that do best with slow-roasting to keep the meat juicy, such as Garlicky Roast Beef with Gravy and Yorkshire Pudding (page 212).
Roasts tend to be the priciest cuts, but they do not need to be. In this chapter, you’ll find the most luxurious roasts, including standing rib roast and whole tenderloin mingling with sirloin tip roast, aka round tip roast, and eye round roast, two cuts that get short shrift. All of them offer the most relaxed way of entertaining I know.
Although the average thousand-pound steer has several good roasting cuts, you’d never glean it from the supermarket meat counter. Prime rib and tenderloin are the most celebrated and therefore the most expensive muscles, but there are many more economical options for both high-heat and slow-roasting. Grassfed roasts, which are significantly leaner inside and out and generally smaller by weight, will cook slightly faster than conventional beef roasts and appear more pink at your desired serving temperature. Keep a close eye on the clock, have your trusty thermometer on hand, and pull the roast from the oven eight to ten degrees lower than your desired finishing temperature (Timetable for Roasting, page 201).
BRISKET, the boneless, flat pectoral muscle is sold whole or in halves: the “flat” is the leanest and most uniform portion while the “point” or “nose” has a layer of fat running through the middle. Brisket is not a typical cut for dry-heat cooking, but like other cuts from the chuck, it gets quite tender when slow-roasted at or below 300°F for several hours. Renowned as the beef for barbecuing, it demands time for hot smoking or can be slow-roasted in the oven.
BOTTOM ROUND ROAST, aka rump roast, is a very lean, boneless rounded cut from the upper part of the outer leg or round. Slow-roasted to medium rare and sliced very thin—all the better if you have access to a meat slicer—it makes excellent deli-style roast beef.
CHUCK ROAST refers to several different cuts, all from the shoulder, usually relegated to braising, or moist-heat cooking. Like brisket, these tough cuts can also be cooked with dry heat at low temperatures and smoked. Chuck roasts are trickier to slice because of the confusion of muscles, but can be readily shredded for serving.
EYE ROUND ROAST is a long, nearly cylindrical single-muscle roast that resembles tenderloin in shape. Very lean, boneless, and modestly tender, it is lighter in color than the other muscles of the round (top round and bottom round) that surround it, and has a milder flavor, too. It makes a fine roast as long as it is slow-roasted and thinly sliced.
PRIME RIB is the common term for a rib roast with the back ribs removed. See Rib roast.
RIB ROAST is a large, lean roast with three to seven back bones attached, also known as a standing rib roast. A “first cut” rib roast contains the first four ribs from the loin end, is very uniform and has a large rib-eye muscle; the “second cut” sits closer to the chuck with more fat around the smaller rib-eye muscle. Both make exceptional roasts. Without the bones, a rib roast is called a rib-eye roast or prime rib. Supremely tender and flavorful, it’s very versatile for the cook to roast fast or slow, to grill, or even to smoke.
SIRLOIN TIP ROAST, aka round tip roast, is a lean, boneless cut from below the hip joint where the loin and round primals meet, a muscle sometimes called the knuckle. It is an underrated roast well suited to high heat or low-heat roasting.
STRIP LOIN ROAST, aka top loin roast, is usually sliced into steaks. A whole boneless strip loin roast can be treated like a rib-eye roast, and is typically roasted or grill-roasted using high heat.
TENDERLOIN is a long, slender, tapering muscle running all along the spine, from the short loin to the sirloin. The most tender muscle on the cow, it is also called filet or filet mignon, and is a valuable, expensive roast. It is very lean, but is sometimes sold with a fatty strip of meat called the chain that should be trimmed before use as a roast. A whole tenderloin is a great butchering exercise that’s manageable, albeit spendy, for a home cook (Trimming, page 51).
TOP SIRLOIN ROAST comes from the big top sir-loin butt muscle, and is sometimes called American chateaubriand. Butchers usually slice it into thick top sirloin steaks, but they can just as easily cut a roast sized to suit, and the center cut is most prized. Modestly priced with great flavor, a whole roast sirloin can be grilled or roasted in the oven like a rib-eye roast.
TOP ROUND ROAST is a rounded, lean, boneless whole muscle with a thin cover of fat on some of it. This is the cut commonly used to make deli-style roast beef and is sadly underrated by home cooks. To make it as tender and juicy as possible, it is best cooked at low temperatures until medium rare and then thinly sliced.
TRI-TIP ROAST is a lean and boneless cut with a shape like a boomerang from the outer part of the sirloin, also called triangle tip. It is a small roast, averaging two to three pounds when grassfed, that is manageable to grill-roast whole. It is relatively tender and is praised for its standout flavor that stands up to potent rubs and grilling. It may be hard to find outside of the West.
* This assumes a temperature rise of 8°F to 12°F during a 20 to 30 minute resting period.
** Serve end cuts from a roast or reduce the heat below 300°F for medium-well and well to maintain juiciness.
Use this chart as a planning tool whenever you prepare a roast, but know the time per pound is only an estimate. Your oven, the raw meat’s temperature, roast shape, and other variables will determine the actual cooking time. The utility of this chart is in calculating roughly how far in advance you’ll want to season the roast, preheat the oven, and start roasting (with an allowance for resting time, page 203) to get dinner to the table on time. Note that most of the recipes instruct you to have the roast at room temperature one to two hours before roasting, which will only begin to take off the refrigerator’s chill, but it’s a start.
Roasts offer wiggle room because they stay warm for a long time (if you’re concerned about rapid cooling, wrap the roast securely with aluminum foil and keep it near the stove or in a turned off oven—125°F or below—with the door left ajar). In the event the roast is running behind schedule, bear in mind that cooking accelerates as the internal temperature climbs, so the final fifteen minutes are crucial and the final ten to twenty-degree temperature rise is rapid. If you can’t wait it out, increase the oven temperature by 25°F up to 50°F for fifteen minutes and babysit the roast so that you can pluck it from the oven the moment it’s ready.
I once watched a three-pound roast beef I’d baked at 250°F surge from a perfect medium rare to medium well after I’d pulled it from the oven. I was crushed and bewildered: How could a relatively small roast cooked in a low oven increase eight whole degrees? From that point forward, I monitored every roast I cooked—no matter the size or the oven temperature—with my digital instant-read thermometer while it rested. I was repeatedly astounded by the capacity of beef to keep cooking long after it’s removed from the heat source.
Many people resist the resting notion as foodie fussiness, but it’s really the final cooking stage for meat. A short rest is good for any sized cut, but it’s especially important for whole roasts. The larger the roast, the greater the temperature increase and the longer it takes for the heat to conduct through it. (Think of it like trying to bring a supertanker to a halt in the water.) Start carving a roast that hasn’t rested and every slice will cook in the residual heat as fast as you can slice, turning gray-brown before it hits the serving platter. I’ve done it myself, and I nearly cried.
Expect temperature increases of a minimum of eight, ten, and even twelve degrees, when resting beef. This is the reason I alert you to remove your roast from the oven or grill ten degrees below the serving temperature you want. It’s more conservative than other cookbooks, and you may worry that your roast will be underdone, but I’ve never seen this happen.
The other reason for resting is that it redistributes the juices that rush toward the meat’s center during cooking. You witness this when you grill a hamburger and it puffs up in the middle. Roasts don’t change shape, but the same effect is in action.
I think of the resting time as a convenient pause to finish pulling the rest of the meal together, to season the sauce just right, or maybe to take a breather. If you’re worried about the roast growing cold, make it a blanket of aluminum foil and keep it away from drafts. In any case, roasted meats are not served piping hot. (That’s what the gravies and sauces are for; make sure they’re steaming when you serve them.)
After the twenty to twenty-five minutes of resting time, I make sure to use my sharpest knife to carve with ease through the meat and avoid squeezing out those precious juices that register in our taste sensors as pure succulence.
GRASSFED 4-BONE RIB ROAST ON HAY AND HERBS
with Butternut Squash Bread Pudding
A standing rib roast is a formidable cut, tall and armored in bone. Given its worth, roasting it can be intimidating. The irony of the big roasts is that they’re nearly effortless to prepare, and it’s best to do as little as possible to let the glory of the beef shine.
I became inspired by an intriguing yet simple method espoused by Iron Chef Vitaly Paley of Portland, one of the first big-name chefs that Carman Ranch won over to its grassfed beef: roasting the beef on a bed of hay. It’s playful and symbolic to cook the animal on its own (winter) feed. “It emphasizes the barnyard notes, in a good way,” said Vitaly. He cooks meat on hay every chance he gets.
For all those without access to a feed store (though they’re cropping up in urban areas), you can prepare an ample bed using only the onions and sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme. All impart an herbaceous quality to the meat, and especially to the jus.
Make this two-stage roasting method a standard for any of the large, lean, and tender cuts from the rib and loin primals (The Tender Middle, page 54). Popped into a searing hot oven, the outside crust browns enticingly before the oven is turned down to complete the roasting process. If you like, bake the Butternut Squash Bread Pudding (recipe follows) alongside to serve with this phenomenal roast.
Makes 10 to 12 servings
1 (7- TO 8-POUND) 4-BONE RIB ROAST
KOSHER SALT
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
1 SMALL BUNCH HAY, OPTIONAL
2 LARGE ONIONS, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
4 BRANCHES FRESH ROSEMARY
6 LARGE SPRIGS OF THYME
6 BAY LEAVES
1½ CUPS LOW-SALT BEEF STOCK (SHORT ORDER STOCK, PAGE 226; ROASTED BEEF STOCK, PAGE 228) OR DRY WHITE WINE
3 TABLESPOONS FROZEN STOCK CUBES (page 230), DEMI-GLACE, OR FLAVORED BUTTER COINS (page 167), OPTIONAL
Up to 2 days in advance, put the rib roast on a baking sheet, season it generously with kosher salt and pepper, and store it uncovered in the refrigerator. Let it sit at room temperature for about 2 hours before roasting. Wash the hay, if using, in a large sinkful of water and let it drain in a colander.
Preheat the oven to 475°F. Cover the bottom of a roasting pan with the hay and arrange the onions, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves on it to make a bed. Position the roast on the bed with the bone side down and the fat cap side up.
Roast the meat for 15 minutes. The fat cap on the meat will be walnut brown and sizzling. Lower the oven temperature to 375°F and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer registers 115°F, about 45 minutes more for a total of 1 hour.
Remove the roast if you like it very rare, or check the temperature every 10 minutes and remove it as soon as the center of the roast reaches 120°F for rare or 125°F for medium rare (Timetable for Roasting, page 201). Transfer the roast to a cutting board, tent it with aluminum foil, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes to reach the final serving temperature. (This is longer than some other resting times because the bones store a lot of heat, which takes longer to disperse evenly through the meat.)
To make the jus, add the stock to the bed of hay and herbs from the roasting pan to pick up some of the flavors and then strain it into a small saucepan. Bring the stock to a simmer and whisk in the stock cubes, if using, to enrich it. Spoon off any excess fat, taste the jus for salt, and keep it warm over low heat.
Use a thin-bladed, flexible knife, such as a boning knife, to remove the back ribs (Boning, page 46) and set them aside. Slice the meat against the grain into ½-inch-thick slices. Slice between the backbones and serve them to those who relish nibbling meat from the bone. Or, save them for another meal, such as Ginger-Glazed Short Ribs (page 244). Spoon the jus over the beef slices and serve with the Butternut Squash Bread Pudding, if desired.
MORE CHOICE CUTS: Rib-eye roast, the boneless version of this same cut (sometimes referred to as prime rib), and boneless strip loin roast are two other top choices. Without bones, it will cook more quickly, so start checking the roast’s temperature 30 minutes after turning down the heat to 375°F and monitor it regularly to reach your desired temperature according to the Timetable for Roasting on page 201. Top sirloin roast, nicknamed “American chateaubriand” when center cut, is a more economical choice. Because it is boneless, it will need less time to cook; start checking the roast’s temperature after 30 minutes of roasting and cook to your liking according to the Timetable for Roasting. |
This no-fuss sidedish can be prepared a day in advance (without the stock) and bakes alongside the standing rib roast (page 204), or all on its own. It also reheats well.
Makes 10 to 12 servings
10 (½-INCH) SLICES ARTISAN-STYLE MULTIGRAIN OR WHOLE-WHEAT BREAD (ABOUT 12 OUNCES)
2 MEDIUM SWEET ONIONS, SLICED
1½ POUNDS BUTTERNUT SQUASH, PEELED, SEEDED, AND CUT INTO 1-INCH CUBES (ABOUT 5 CUPS)
¼ CUP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1 TABLESPOON CHOPPED FRESH SAGE OR 1 TEASPOON DRIED
2 TEASPOONS CHOPPED FRESH THYME OR ½ TEASPOON DRIED
1¼ TEASPOONS SALT
¼ TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER
1 TABLESPOON UNSALTED BUTTER, SOFTENED
1½ CUPS GRATED GRUYÈRE OR SWISS CHEESE, DIVIDED
3½ CUPS LOW-SALT CHICKEN STOCK
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Tear the bread into roughly 1-inch pieces on a baking sheet and bake until crisp, stirring once, 10 to 12 minutes. Set it aside.
Raise the oven temperature to 400°F. Toss the onion slices and butternut squash with the olive oil, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper and arrange in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast until the onions begin to brown and the squash is fork tender, 22 to 25 minutes.
Butter a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Arrange half of the bread into a single, uneven layer in the bottom of the baking dish. Distribute half of the roasted onion and squash mixture over the bread. Sprinkle on half of the cheese. Repeat with a second layer of bread, the rest of the onions and squash, and top with the remaining cheese. (Store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.)
Pour in the chicken stock, pausing to let it seep into the bread and packing it down with a spoon, if necessary. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place it on a baking sheet to catch drips.
To bake the bread pudding with the 4-Bone Rib Roast, put it on a rack below the roast into the 475°F oven. Bake covered for 15 minutes and remove the aluminum foil when you reduce the oven heat to 375°F as instructed in the 4-Bone Rib Roast recipe (page 204). Bake for another 35 to 40 minutes until bubbling, puffed, and deep golden brown. Recover with the foil to keep it warm. Once you remove the roast, you can turn off the oven and pop the bread pudding back in while the roast rests.
To bake the bread pudding on its own, preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking until bubbling, puffed, and deep golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes more for a total of 65 to 70 minutes.
with Saba Sauce and Braised Lentils
Whenever I taste great grassfed beef, it brings to mind the earthy essence of wild mushrooms. My mushroom hunting skills are not up to the challenge of locating the king bolete mushrooms that pop up in the woods here in the spring. Luckily, my neighbor, farmer, and forager, Gene Theil, who is famous in Portland’s restaurant world, sells them to me whenever I ask. I buy dried boletus related to the Italian porcini, and grind them to a powder in a spice grinder. You can also buy porcinis already ground. It’s the simplest thing to mix the mushroom powder into a wet rub for a tender-loin (or any other roast, steak, or burger) that alchemizes in the oven to a gorgeously browned roast. A five-hundred-degree oven may seem daunting, but so long as you keep an eye on the clock and a reliable thermometer handy, it’s a sure-fire way to get a great sear on one of the most tender cuts of all.
I serve this tenderloin with accompanying umami elements including a sweet-and-sour wine sauce made with saba, a syrup of reduced and aged winegrapes, similar to balsamic. The side dish of Braised Lentils (recipe follows), which smell amazing as they simmer, pulls the whole meal together.
Makes 8 servings
RUB:
¼ CUP PORCINI POWDER (SOURCES, PAGE 272)
2 TEASPOONS KOSHER SALT
¾ TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER
3 TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1 (2½- TO 3-POUND) CENTER-CUT TENDERLOIN
SAUCE:
2 CUPS RED WINE
2 SHALLOTS, FINELY CHOPPED
3 TABLESPOONS SABA*
2 TABLESPOONS SALTED BUTTER, CUT INTO ½-INCH CUBES AND WELL CHILLED
To make the rub, combine the porcini powder, kosher salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Add the olive oil and stir to make a thick, gritty paste. Tie the tenderloin in 4 or 5 places using butcher’s twine or silicone bands to support its shape to make nice, rounded serving slices. Put the tenderloin on a rack in a small roasting pan. Spread the porcini rub all over the roast and leave it at room temperature for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, start the sauce by bringing the wine and shallots to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low to simmer steadily until the wine is reduced to roughly ½ cup, about 25 minutes, and set it aside.
Preheat the oven to 500°F.
Roast the tenderloin until an instant-read thermometer registers 115°F, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the roast if you like it very rare, or check the temperature every 5 minutes and remove it as soon as the center of the roast reaches 120°F for rare or 125°F for medium rare (Timetable for Roasting, page 201). Transfer the tenderloin to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let it rest for at least 20 minutes to reach its final serving temperature while you finish the sauce.
To finish the sauce, add the saba to the reserved wine mixture over low heat. Whisk in the butter, a few cubes at a time, to make a sauce that barely coats the back of a spoon. Taste for salt and add a pinch if it needs it.
Slice the tenderloin into ½-inch-thick slices and spoon the sauce, including plenty of the shallots, over each serving alongside a portion of the Braised Lentils, if desired.
NOTE: In place of the saba, combine ¼ cup of good-quality balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a small saucepan. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat and cook until it is reduced to 3 tablespoons of syrup, about 3 minutes.
MORE CHOICE CUTS: Rib-eye roast is a thicker cut that will take a bit longer to roast. After roasting at 500°F for 15 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and monitor with an instant-read thermometer to reach the final temperature according to the Timetable for Roasting on page 201. Top round roast, not a celebrated roast, gets an upgrade with this treatment. After roasting it at 500°F for 15 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 300°F and monitor with an instant-read thermometer to reach the final temperature according to the Timetable for Roasting. |
This simple side dish is stirred on the stovetop like a risotto (only less constantly), along with wine and beef stock, in a recipe adapted from Judy Rodgers’s Zuni Cafe Cookbook. Since the tenderloin roasts so quickly, you’ll want to start the lentils after you rub the roast and while it waits to go into the oven. Once the lentils are tender, they will sit patiently and hold their shape while covered over low heat, so that you can devote all your attention to the precious tenderloin.
Because I live just to the south of the Palouse, one of the top lentil- and dry pea-growing regions of the world, I’ve been exposed to this legume’s many colors, shapes, and sizes. I love the small, rounded green lentils de puy and the black lentil called beluga, both of which bring a nutty texture to complement an out-of-this-world tenderloin (page 207).
Makes 8 servings
3 TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1 RED ONION, FINELY CHOPPED
1 CARROT, FINELY CHOPPED
1 CELERY STALK, FINELY CHOPPED
3 GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED
½ CUP RED WINE
1¾ CUPS DRY LENTILS, SUCH AS LENTILS DE PUY OR BLACK BELUGA, RINSED
1½ TEASPOONS SALT
½ TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER
2 BAY LEAVES
2½ CUPS LOW-SALT BEEF STOCK (SHORT ORDER STOCK, PAGE 226; ROASTED BEEF STOCK, PAGE 228) OR WATER, DIVIDED
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the wine and cook until it has nearly evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lentils, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Add 1½ cups of the stock or water, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the lentils uncovered, stirring occasionally until the liquid has nearly been absorbed.
Add more of the stock or water in small doses, about ½ cup at a time, using just enough so that the lentils are tender and there is about 1 inch of liquid in the bottom of the pan, for a total of 40 to 45 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves. Taste for salt and pepper and keep it covered over low heat until ready to serve.
ROAST BEEF STUFFED WITH RED ONIONS, MUSHROOMS, AND BARLEY
For a celebratory meal, a stuffed, rolled roast is an impressive offering that comes with a built-in side dish. It involves butterflying a roast (Butterflying, page 46) and preparing a whole grain stuffing (you’ll need one cup of cooked barley, see note), both of which you can do one day in advance. A sirloin tip roast, aka round tip roast, is big, beefy, lean, and affordable. Once roasted, it looks as opulent as any large beef cut and slices neatly to reveal the stuffing inside. (I sometimes double the quantity of stuffing to make a bed for the slices of stuffed roast beef.)
Makes 8 servings
2 TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, PLUS ADDITIONAL FOR PREPARING ROAST
3 RED ONIONS, CHOPPED
8 OUNCES CREMINI MUSHROOMS, ROUGHLY CHOPPED
1½ TEASPOONS SALT
¼ TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER
2 TABLESPOONS BALSAMIC VINEGAR
2 TEASPOONS FINELY CHOPPED FRESH ROSEMARY, DIVIDED
1 CUP COOKED PEARLED BARLEY*
1 (3- TO 3½-POUND) SIRLOIN TIP ROAST
KOSHER SALT
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
2 GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the vinegar and 1½ teaspoons of the rosemary and cook until very fragrant, about 1 minute more. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the barley, and set it aside to cool.
Butterfly the roast (Butterflying, page 46). Coat it with olive oil and season it liberally with the kosher salt and pepper on both sides. With the rough, butterflied side of the meat facing up, rub in the garlic and sprinkle on the remaining ½ teaspoon of rosemary.
Preheat the oven to 450°F and cut 3 (18-inch) lengths of butcher’s twine or have large silicone bands on hand to roll and tie the roast once assembled. Spoon about two-thirds of the stuffing into the center of the roast and roll it up starting from one of the shorter ends. Tie the roast securely in the center and at each end. Use your hands to stuff the remaining filling into the ends. Put it into a roasting pan seam side down.
Roast the meat for 20 minutes to brown the outside, and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer registers 120°F, 30 to 35 minutes more. Remove the roast if you like it rare, or check the temperature every 10 minutes and remove it as soon as the center of the roast reaches 125°F for medium rare (Timetable for Roasting, page 201). Transfer the meat to a cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let it rest for at least 20 minutes to reach its final serving temperature.
Strain the pan juices from the roasting pan into a measuring cup. To serve, snip the ties off the roast with a paring knife or kitchen shears and discard them. Use a sharp, long-bladed knife to slice the roast into ¾- to 1-inch-thick slices and serve them drizzled with the pan juices.
NOTE: To prepare the barley, bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ½ cup of pearled barley and ¼ teaspoon salt, reduce the heat to low, and simmer covered until tender to the bite, about 30 minutes. Drain the barley and set aside it aside to cool to room temperature before making the stuffing as directed.
MORE CHOICE CUTS: Top sirloin roast is another less expensive option to stuff and roast. Rib-eye roast is the premium boneless roasting cut well complemented by this stuffing. |
with Gravy and Yorkshire Pudding
Roasted garlic perfumes this roast, the pan gravy, and the kitchen, beckoning everyone to come enjoy an old-fashioned roast beef and gravy dinner. Lean roasts from the round, one of most challenging cuts to cook well, come out perfectly when baked in a three-hundred-degree oven, staying juicy within the garlic paste rub. Milk gravy is the standard in the rural West, though I use a different sauce-thickening technique where a paste of butter and flour, called beurre manie (burr man-yay), is whisked into the liquids. It makes a foolproof lump-free gravy instantly (enough for hot open-faced roast beef sandwiches the following day). While the meat rests, you have the perfect amount of time to bake the easy Yorkshire Pudding (recipe follows) for sopping up the gravy. Round out this English-inspired supper with a side dish of buttery green peas or green beans.
Makes 8 servings with leftovers
12 GARLIC CLOVES, PEELED
1½ TABLESPOONS KOSHER SALT
½ TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER
1 (3½- TO 4-POUND) TOP ROUND ROAST
GRAVY:
3 CUPS MILK
3 TABLESPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER, SOFTENED
3 TABLESPOONS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
Up to 24 hours in advance, smash the garlic with the kosher salt and pepper into a paste using a mortar and pestle, the flat side of a chef’s knife blade, or a food processor. Rub the garlic paste all over the roast and put it on a rack in a metal roasting pan, fat side up. Refrigerate it until 1 hour before roasting.
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Roast until an internal-read thermometer reads 115°F, 1½ to 1¾ hours. Remove the roast if you like it very rare, or check the temperature every 10 minutes and remove it as soon as the center of the roast reaches 120°F for rare or 125°F for medium rare (Timetable for Roasting, page 201). (If you are making the Yorkshire Pudding, raise the oven temperature to 425°F once you’ve removed the roast and bake as directed on the next page.) Transfer the meat to a cutting board, tent it with aluminum foil, and let it rest for at least 20 minutes to reach its final serving temperature.
To make the gravy, remove the rack, pour the milk into the roasting pan, and bring it to a boil on the stovetop over medium heat. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned garlic bits. Use a fork to mash the butter and flour together in a small bowl until they are well blended. Whisk the butter mixture into the simmering liquid and cook until it thickens to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes. Taste the gravy for salt and pepper, pour it into a small saucepan, and keep it warm over low heat.
Slice the roast ¼ inch thick with a sharp slicing knife and serve with the hot gravy.
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Sirloin tip roast, aka round tip roast, is another lean roast that makes an excellent slow-roasted roast beef. Bottom round roast, aka rump roast, is a great low-cost, slow roast that needs to be sliced extra-thin. If you don’t have a meat slicer or a great slicing knife, chill it overnight before slicing for roast beef sandwiches. Rib-eye roast and tenderloin are also well served by the slow-roasting method, which insures against overcooking these precious cuts. See the Timetable for Roasting (page 201) for guidelines. |
YORKSHIRE PUDDING
These beloved little pastries are what I make when there’s no time for dinner rolls. They’re perfect for mopping up the meat juices and gravy with a roast, and are a convenience for the cook because they bake while the roast is resting. But I make them other times, too, because they’re also the perfect size to plunk on top of the Salt-Seared Steak with Chard-Gorgonzola Gratin (page 194) or a slice of Pure Beef Meatloaf (page 78). More like popovers than “puddings,” these don’t demand a special baking pan to achieve their loft. A 12-cup muffin tin is all you need, plus a hot oven. Just be sure to mix up the batter at least 20 minutes in advance so that the flour has time to absorb the liquids and swell the starches.
Makes 12 servings
1 CUP (4½ OUNCES) ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
½ TEASPOON SALT
2 EGGS
1 EGG YOLK
1 CUP MILK
2 TABLESPOONS MELTED BEEF SUET OR OLIVE OIL
Whisk the flour, salt, eggs, yolk, and milk together in a medium mixing bowl, beating vigorously to make a perfectly smooth batter. Pour the batter into a 2-cup or larger measuring cup with a spout and let it stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Pour ½ teaspoon of the suet into each cup of a 12-cup muffin tin and put it in the oven to heat for 2 to 3 minutes. When you can hear the suet sizzling, take it out of the oven and pour in the batter, distributing it evenly to fill each cup about halfway. Put the muffin tin in the oven and keep the oven door sealed so that they rise in the intense heat. Bake the puddings until they are puffed and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
Warm and pillowy mashed potatoes are the classic side dish for a roast (and steak, meatloaf, and so many other beef dishes). I veer toward the bevy of other fall and winter vegetables, and treat them in the same way: boiled in salted water, steam-dried, mashed, or puréed with softened butter, and seasoned to taste with salt and pepper. Like potatoes, these vegetables boil in twenty to twenty-five minutes if cut into roughly 2-inch chunks. When blending them with potatoes, it’s best to cook each vegetable separately. Use an immersion blender, food processor, or food mill to get them perfectly smooth, and keep them warm covered in a bowl over simmering water.
CAULIFLOWER: Core a head of cauliflower and segment it before boiling and puréeing in a food processor. Try adding a shot of white truffle oil, or a pinch of coriander to this mild-mannered vegetable.
CELERY ROOT: Peeled and cut into even chunks for boiling, this round root is great paired with potatoes in a 50/50 mash with a splash of cream.
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES (ALSO SOLD AS SUNCHOKES): Peel the thin skins from this delicately flavored vegetable before boiling and then mash with olive oil in place of butter.
PARSNIPS: Peel and boil then mash these with boiled carrots to make a colorful side dish.
SWEET POTATOES OR YAMS: Handled just like russet potatoes, these mash easily. I like to set off their sweet flavors with spices such as cumin, smoked paprika, or garam masala (Note, page 117).
TURNIPS: Browned butter—made by heating melted butter until it turns amber colored and smells nutty—mashed into boiled turnips takes the edge off their mild bitterness.
WINTER SQUASH: Try any one of the heirloom varieties, either boiled or baked, and simply season with salt before smashing with a fork to a chunky texture.
The lean and slender cut called eye round doesn’t get the attention of other roasts, and that’s a shame. It is mild in flavor, fairly tender, has a uniform shape that slices easily into lovely round servings, and costs far less than others. I lavished this eye round roast with a dry rub of salt and the dried herb blend called Herbes de Provence (a varying combination of basil, rosemary, sage, thyme, savory, marjoram, fennel seeds, and lavender), and let it cure in the refrigerator overnight. Seared on the stovetop before a low-heat roasting, this once humble roast becomes outstanding. It shines here with the accompanying Fig-Red Onion Marmalade (recipe follows). I serve with celery root-potato purée (Mashed Potato Mix Up, page 214).
Makes 6 servings with leftovers
2 TABLESPOONS HERBES DE PROVENCE
1 (2½- TO 3-POUND) EYE ROUND ROAST
4 TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, DIVIDED
KOSHER SALT
Crush the Herbes de Provence in a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder. Put the roast onto a piece of aluminum foil to fit, rub it with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season it liberally with the kosher salt. Rub the Herbes de Provence all over to coat it evenly. Wrap the roast in the aluminum foil and refrigerate for 12 to 48 hours.
Preheat the oven to 275°F and unwrap the roast. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a small roasting pan, with the rack set aside, on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Sear the roast for 2 minutes per side, holding it with tongs to brown it on all sides for a total of 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium if the oil begins to smoke too heavily.
Lift the roast, insert the rack, and put the roast on the rack. Pour ½ cup of water into the pan to release the browned bits while it bakes.
Roast until an internal read thermometer registers 115°F, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the roast if you like it very rare, or check the temperature every 10 minutes and remove it as soon as the center of the roast reaches 120°F for rare or 125°F for medium rare (Timetable for Roasting, page 201). Transfer the roast to a cutting board, tent it with aluminum foil, and let it rest for at least 15 minutes to reach its final serving temperature. Use a sharp knife to slice it ¼ inch thick. Drizzle it with any pan juices and serve it with the Fig-Red Onion Marmalade, if using.
VARIATION: ROAST BEEF BRUSCHETTA
Top sliced and toasted ciabatta bread or baguettes with a sliver of the roast beef, a spoonful of the fig-onion marmalade, and a few crumbles of blue cheese and warm it in a low (250°F) oven.
MORE CHOICE CUTS: Sirloin tip roast, aka round tip roast, is another lean and fairly tender roast that’s also economical. Tenderloin, when you’re in the mood for a splurge, loves this herbal treatment and slow roasting. |
FIG-RED ONION MARMALADE
Based on a recipe I learned to make at the Herbfarm, this quick-cooked condiment is perfect with any sliced roast, hot or cold. Or, use it to make memorable roast beef and Fontina panini or the bruschetta appetizer described in the variation above.
Makes 2 cups
1 TABLESPOON EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
2 RED ONIONS, THINLY SLICED
2 OUNCES DRIED FIGS, STEMMED AND COARSELY CHOPPED (ABOUT 7)
¼ CUP RED WINE
1 TABLESPOON SUGAR
1 TABLESPOON RED WINE VINEGAR
½ TEASPOON CRUSHED HERBES DE PROVENCE
½ TEASPOON SALT
⅛ TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the figs, wine, and sugar, and simmer undisturbed until the onions are very limp and the liquid is syrupy, about 20 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, Herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. Cover the pan and cook until the onions are very tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Taste for vinegar so that it has a balance of tart and sweet, and serve it warm or at room temperature. (You can make it up to 2 days ahead. Store covered in the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature or warm it over low heat or in the microwave before serving.)
For anyone without a smoker or the patience to spoon-feed woodchips to a grill, the oven is the answer for barbecued beef. Surrounded by heat, tough roasts slow cook to tenderness in their own juices. I use smoked sea salt and paprika in this dry rub. For a more pronounced smokiness, add one to two teaspoons of liquid smoke (Note, page 254). Serve this meat shredded with Tangy Barbecue Sauce (page 223) or slice it thin and pile it on dark rye with caramelized onions and cheddar cheese for a formidable grilled sandwich.
Makes 6 servings with leftovers
2 TEASPOONS SMOKED SEA SALT OR KOSHER SALT
1 TEASPOON SMOKED PAPRIKA, SUCH AS PIMENTÓN DE LA VERA (SOURCES, PAGE 272)
1 TEASPOON GROUND CUMIN
¼ TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER
⅛ TEASPOON CAYENNE
1 (2½- TO 3-POUND) CHUCK ROAST
BARBECUE SAUCE (page 223), FOR SERVING
Combine the salt, paprika, cumin, pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl and mix well. Rub the salt mixture all over the roast, put it in a plastic bag or covered baking dish, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days.
Preheat the oven to 200°F. Roast covered until you can pry the meat apart easily with a fork and an internal-read thermometer registers at least 180°F, 5½ to 6 hours. When the meat is cool enough to handle, slice it or shred it, discarding any fat or bone, before serving with some of the accumulated broth.
with Black Beans and Rice (Moros y Cristianos)
Mojo (mo-ho) is a sauce of garlic and bitter orange that hails from Cuba. To mimic those flavors, I mix lime juice and orange juice with loads of garlic and jalapeños to make a great wet rub and marinade for the tough shoulder cuts like arm roast. Slow-roasted in the oven, the jalapeños and garlic mellow into the background while the meat turns fall-apart tender.
For a big meal, I accompany the beef with the stovetop Black Beans and Rice (recipe follows), a side dish Cubans call moros y cristianos. Shredded while it’s still warm, and folded into warmed flour tortillas with diced avocado and sour cream, this beef also makes excellent burritos.
Makes 6 servings with leftovers
8 GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED
3 JALAPEÑOS, SEEDED AND FINELY CHOPPED
2 TABLESPOONS PACKED LIGHT BROWN SUGAR
1½ TEASPOONS GROUND CUMIN
1 TABLESPOON KOSHER SALT
¼ CUP ORANGE JUICE
¼ CUP FRESH LIME JUICE
2 TABLESPOONS EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1 (3½- TO 4-POUND) CHUCK ROAST, BONE-IN OR BONELESS
½ CUP LIGHTLY PACKED CHOPPED FRESH CILANTRO
To make the rub, combine the garlic, jalapeños, brown sugar, cumin, and kosher salt in a small bowl and mix well. Add the orange juice, lime juice, and olive oil and stir until blended. Put the beef in a glass or ceramic baking dish that holds it snugly and pour the wet rub over it. Turn the roast over to coat it completely. Cover the baking dish and marinate for 6 to 12 hours in the refrigerator, turning it once.
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Roast uncovered until the meat shreds readily with a fork and an internal read thermometer registers 180°F, 3 to 3½ hours. Separate the meat along the natural seams, trimming off the fat, and slice it thinly or shred. Stir the cilantro into the pan juices and pour them over the meat to keep it moist.
Alternatively, you can use a smoker to hot-smoke this roast at 225°F to 250°F with a drip pan underneath to capture all the juices and recombine them with the sliced or shredded meat for serving.
MORE CHOICE CUTS: Cross-rib roast and other roasts from the chuck are usually relegated to the braising pot. With this slow-roasting method, these tough cuts cook in their own juices until tender. Brisket is another tough cut that needs low heat, either liquid or dry, to break it down. Once it does, its long meat fibers are easy to shred and wonderfully lean. |
If using dried beans, you’ll need to cook them in advance.
Makes 6 servings
1 TABLESPOON VEGETABLE OIL
1 MEDIUM ONION, CHOPPED
1½ CUPS LONG-GRAIN WHITE RICE
3 CUPS LOW-SODIUM CHICKEN STOCK OR WATER
1½ TEASPOONS GROUND CUMIN
1 TEASPOON CRUSHED DRIED OREGANO
½ TEASPOON SALT
1 BAY LEAF
2 CUPS COOKED BLACK BEANS OR 1 (14-OUNCE) CAN BLACK BEANS, DRAINED AND RINSED
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it turns translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with the oil. Cook stirring occasionally, until they smell toasted and most of the grains turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, cumin, oregano, salt, and bay leaf. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the rice is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the beans and stir to warm them over low heat. Discard the bay leaf and taste for salt before serving.
COFFEE BEAN-CHILE RUBBED SIRLOIN ROAST
Coffee and chile are a dynamic duo in a dry rub for a large roast. This recipe offers a marvelous example of using your grill to roast a large piece of meat you then sear—a technique called reverse searing (page 221). As long as you’re equipped with a timer and a dependable meat thermometer, this method only looks impressive. Top sirloin roast is an exceptional lean roast with great character for grill-roasting. Slices of this roast served alongside a helping of Cowboy Beans (recipe follows) is like a meal straight off the chuck wagon on the open range.
Makes 6 servings with leftovers
¼ CUP FINELY GROUND DARK-ROASTED COFFEE BEANS
2 TABLESPOONS ANCHO CHILE POWDER OR OTHER PURE CHILE POWDER (SOURCES, PAGE 272)
¼ CUP PACKED LIGHT BROWN SUGAR
2 TABLESPOONS KOSHER SALT
1 TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER
1 (3- TO 3½-POUND) TOP SIRLOIN ROAST
2 TABLESPOONS VEGETABLE OIL
Mix the coffee, chile powder, brown sugar, kosher salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pat the roast dry, rub it with the oil, and massage the spice mixture all over to coat it thickly. (Store any excess rub in an airtight container for a hamburger or steak.) Let it stand at room temperature for 1 hour or in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, removing it 1 hour in advance of cooking.
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking by turning on the flames or building up the coals only on one side of the grill for medium heat (325° to 375°F). Scrape the grate clean and oil it lightly. Put the roast on the rack over the coolest part of the grill, close the cover, and cook until an internal read thermometer registers 115°F for rare or 120°F for medium rare, about 40 minutes. (These temperatures are 5°F lower than usual because the roast will cook further during the searing stage. Alternatively, you can complete cooking at this temperature, skipping the sear, according to the Timetable for Roasting, page 201). Transfer the roast to a platter.
If using a gas grill, turn it up to high and when the heat reaches 425°F to 475°F, or so hot that you can only hold your hand 4 inches above it for less than 5 seconds, place the roast back on the grill. Sear it for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, turning it with tongs when the coffee rub looks charred (it’s not) and an internal-read thermometer reaches 125°F for medium rare.
If using a charcoal grill, you can either fire up the coals by replenishing them with hot coals from a chimney lighter (the roast will be fine while it waits for up to 1 hour) or bring it indoors and sear it in a dry, preheated skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Let the roast rest on a cutting board for at least 20 minutes to finish cooking and slice into ½-inch-thick slices to serve with the Cowboy Beans, if desired.
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Rib-eye roast is an exceptional choice for grill-roasting. Tri-tip roast stands up to hearty rubs and its irregular shape means that the tips will be more well done to satisfy a variety of tastes. |
COWBOY BEANS
When you serve these singular beans with the Coffee Bean-Chile Rubbed Sirloin Roast, the ham hock, which lends another dimension of flavors, is optional. If using dried beans, you’ll need to soak, drain, rinse, and cook them in advance.
Makes 6 servings with leftovers
1 TABLESPOON VEGETABLE OIL
1 MEDIUM ONION, CHOPPED
4 GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED
2 TEASPOONS GROUND CUMIN
4 CUPS COOKED PINTO BEANS OR 2 (14-OUNCE) CANNED PINTO BEANS, BOTH DRAINED AND RINSED
1 (8-OUNCE) SMOKED HAM HOCK, OPTIONAL
1 CUP LOW-SALT BEEF STOCK (SHORT ORDER STOCK, PAGE 226; ROASTED BEEF STOCK, PAGE 228) OR WATER
½ CUP STRONG BREWED COFFEE
1 CUP BARBECUE SAUCE (page 223)
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the onion and cook until it turns translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add the beans, ham hock, if using, stock, coffee, and barbecue sauce and bring the liquid to a simmer. Cook until the sauce is as thick as gravy, 25 to 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning. The salt from the ham hock, if using, and the barbecue sauce should provide all the salt the beans need.
THE REVERSE SEAR In this unorthodox method, the beef cooks slowly until it is nearly done, and then gets seared, either on a blazing grill or on scalding-hot pan on the stovetop. It’s the reverse order of the typical method of browning first and then cooking meat to doneness. And it really works! (Coffee Bean-Chile Rubbed Sirloin Roast, page 220, is a model to follow for combining grill-roasting with the reverse sear.) The results are stunning: the meat cooks to a rosy pink medium rare all the way to its crusty edge. For anyone who adores medium rare beef and resents the band of well-done meat along the outer edge, I recommend adopting this technique immediately. Granted, it requires even more attentiveness to catch the roast while it’s still below the final desired cooking temperature, but with a reliable thermometer, it’s a snap. The reverse sear adapts to steaks, too: In a preheated 300°F oven, bake the steaks (at least 1 inch thick) to an internal temperature of 95°F. Heat a large skillet over high heat, with or without a tablespoon of vegetable oil, until it smokes. Put the steaks in the skillet and sear for two to three minutes per side until walnut brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 125°F for medium rare. |
Up the road from my house is a laundromat-car wash where Sherri Currie sells great slow-smoked barbecue sandwiches just like she remembers from her native Texas. I crave her brisket on a regular basis, so it’s a lucky thing that she agreed to tutor me in the fine art of barbecue, Texas style.
Sherri massages the meat with a mustard rub then waits for 2 days to let it all soak in. Once the smoker stuffed with cherry wood (apple-wood and hickory are good and mild, too) reaches 220°F, in goes the beef until it gets that pretty pink smoke ring running one-quarter inch into the meat. She swaddles the beef in aluminum foil to create a moist environment and slow roasts it to a perfect finish.
It all starts with a great piece of brisket, the classic for beef barbecue—on this, there is no argument. The rub, type of smoke, and amount of smoking time are up for debate. The real secret ingredient for all the championship-worthy barbecued briskets is the same: time. You need to plan for about six hours of smoking, plus four or five additional hours for slow-roasting. It’s a two-stage method for practical purposes, but you can keep on smoking, if you like. (On the other hand, if you crave barbecue but don’t have the smoker or the inclination to improvise one, try the Dutch Oven Barbecue, page 217.) Serve the beef with Tangy Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows), dill pickles, and heaps of your favorite potato salad. Shave the leftovers with a sharp slicing knife for barbecue beef sandwiches on Whole-Wheat Hamburger Buns (page 72).
Makes 8 servings with leftovers
½ CUP PREPARED YELLOW MUSTARD
1 TABLESPOON SWEET OR HOT PAPRIKA
1 TABLESPOON KOSHER SALT
1 TEASPOON BLACK PEPPER
½ TEASPOON CAYENNE
1 (7- TO 10-POUND) WHOLE BEEF BRISKET
Mix the mustard, paprika, kosher salt, pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl until well blended. Put the brisket in a shallow pan. Spread the rub all over the brisket with a rubber spatula to coat it like frosting. Refrigerate the brisket uncovered for 24 to 48 hours.
Prepare a smoker for hot-smoking (200° to 225°F). Alternatively, prepare a charcoal grill for low indirect heat or a gas grill fitted with a smoker box and a drip pan filled with 2 inches of water underneath the grate opposite the heat source. If using wood chips, soak them for about 15 minutes before adding them. Scrape the grate clean and oil it lightly before placing the brisket on the coolest side of the grill with the fat cap side up. Close the lid and smoke for about 6 hours. Monitor the temperatures and smoke levels, and replenish the wood chips as necessary for your type of smoker. When the brisket is smoked to your liking, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, put it on a baking sheet, and bake it in a 250°F oven until you can pry the meat apart readily with a fork and an instant-read thermometer registers 190° to 200°F, an additional 4 to 5 hours more—for a total of roughly 11 hours. Alternatively, you can continue smoking the brisket to doneness in 14 to 16 hours.
To serve, take a peek at the lean underside to see which way the grain is running or start cutting and change direction if need be. Slice it thin against the grain and serve with the barbecue sauce, if desired.
TANGY BARBECUE SAUCE
This is Sherri Currie’s recipe for a barbecue sauce that slants toward the vinegary side. It has a low spice level, like burning embers on a dying fire—just the way I like it.
Makes 1½ cups
½ CUP KETCHUP (page 73)
½ CUP APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
½ CUP STRONG BREWED COFFEE
¼ CUP WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
3 TABLESPOONS PACKED LIGHT BROWN SUGAR
1 TABLESPOON GRATED ONION
4 GARLIC CLOVES, MINCED
1 TABLESPOON CHILE POWDER
1 TEASPOON SMOKED PAPRIKA, SUCH AS PIMENTÓN DE LA VERA (SOURCES, PAGE 272)
¼ TEASPOON CAYENNE
Whisk the ketchup, vinegar, coffee, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, onion, garlic, chile powder, paprika, and cayenne in a small saucepan until smooth. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce the heat to low. Simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour until it is thick and the flavors are well-balanced. Cool to room temperature before serving.
A hot sandwich is a worthy second life for any leftover roast beef. Make a jus by simmering 1½ cups of low-sodium, best-quality beef stock in a small saucepan over medium heat with ½ teaspoon prepared horseradish, 1 peeled garlic clove, and 1 bay leaf for 15 minutes. To give it some body, whisk in 2 Frozen Stock Cubes (page 230) or demi-glace, if you like. Pluck out the garlic and bay leaf. For each sandwich, slice, butter, and toast 6-inch long sections of baguettes or submarine rolls. Dip 3 to 4 slices of leftover roast beef into the jus to warm and re-moisten then layer them on the bread. Slice in half and serve with bowls of the warm jus on the side for dipping. |
THE ESSENTIAL INTERNAL READ THERMOMETER 
GIVE IT A REST