In the interest of meat lovers everywhere, I decided to post my recipe for roast beef here so my friends and family could get at it. If anyone else can glean some meaty goodness from this as well, I’m glad to have helped out.
Ingredients
- 1 English Cut Chuck Roast, 2.75 lbs, ± 0.5 lbs.
- 1 Small Yellow Onion, Flatter in shape if possible. (Sweeter)
- Large salt / pepper shakers
- About 5 tablespoons of Vegetable Oil
- Cup of water handy.
- Assistant, or if Zaphod Beeblebrox, third arm.
Method
Trim the roast lightly, leave most of the fat and cut away the gristle. That fat will turn into flavor later I promise. There are pictures of the whole process below.
Start a Stainless pan with at least a 2″ wall on the highest heat your stove will manage. I’m using a 12″ fry pan with 3″ straight walls for lots of cooking surface. Do NOT oil the pan. By the time the pan gets hot enough for what we’re going to put it through the oil would smoke. When a bit of water flicked from your fingers attempts to jump back out of the pan and skitters around, you’ve got it hot enough.
While the pan is heating, oil the roast up. I recommend rubber gloves for ease of cleanup. Rub the oil into all the nooks and crannies. Roast should have a mild wet sheen to it, not dripping, and not so dry you can barely tell there’s oil on there.
Salt heavily. Rub it in. You should be able to hear the salt under your fingers as you rub it. Don’t forget the edges! (This is what will earn us a nice brown crust later.) From my shaker, about 7-10 shakes to a side.
Pepper well, from my large shaker it’s about 4-6 shakes to a side.
Is the pan hot yet? Should be… OK if it passes the above test, slap that big ol hunk of beef in there.
It will become angry.
Leave it be.
I promise, everything will be OK.
The beef is now cooking at several hundred degrees. As it sears it will initially stick then begin to let go of the pan. Once you can move the meat without encountering resistance, or sticking, and are satisfied with at least a starting brown crust on that side, go ahead and use a sturdy pair of tongs to lift the meat, then quickly pour about a quarter cup of water into the pan. (Stand back this gets STEAMY. Keep a plate on hand to chuck the meat on, it’s big and heavy and hot and it’s just easier…)
This will de-glaze the brown crust on the pan and keep it from blackening throughout the rest of the process.
Sear the other side.
Repeat. (2-3 times or until you are satisfied with both the crust on the meat and the amount of Gravy Goodness going on in your pan.)
De-glaze again after removing the meat to the roasting pan. I like to roast two at a time for 3 people + another meal’s leftovers.
Cover the beef with water, we want the level at a minimum of 3/4″ above the beef.
Roast… OK technically Braise the meat for 20-30 hours. Check it for saltiness at some point here, that much water will have pulled most of it out of the meat so the level might still be a little low. I like to add some carrots at 1.5 hours to serving, and potatoes at 1 hr to serving. (Don’t forget to salt the potatoes as they go in)
Remove everything to a couple plates / bowls and turn that liquid into some amazing gravy by boiling it on the stove and using the standard flour slurry method.
When you’re done with the gravy the roast will have rested and it’s dinnertime.
Thor's Cookbook 