Wednesday, January 14, 2009

I'm back! oh, and an awesome roast beef recipe

Well I was away from the blog for quite a bit longer than I expected! Things just kept stacking up...the holidays, I lost my camera (found it, finally), and some family drama followed by a rousing bout of the flu.

But you guys don't care about that stuff, you're here for the recipes! So without further ado, I present you with the perfect roast beef:



ingredients:
a beef roast - I used top round, but I've read that top sirloin is even better - size is not an issue because this recipe is based on temperatures instead of times
salt
pepper
1 T olive oil, coconut oil, lard, or bacon grease, etc etc
a meat thermometer

If your roast isn't already tied, use some butcher twine and tie that sucker up (here are some instructions). This promotes even browning and even roasting.

Preheat the oven to 250 Fahrenheit. Heat your fat in an oven safe Dutch oven over medium high heat. Salt and pepper your roast and sear it in the Dutch oven, about 2 minutes a side.

Once seared, insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat and put the Dutch oven, uncovered, into the oven. Once the meat reaches 110 degrees, crank the heat to 500. At this point, you're looking for your meat to be 120 degrees for rare or 125 for medium rare.

Once it reaches the magic temperature, whisk it out of the oven and put it on a board to cool. Cover it with a foil tent and let it rest for 20 minutes. Remove the butcher's twine. Cut the roast into thin slices (I use an electric knife, but a sharp serrated one will do).

You can eat it right away or pack it up to eat throughout the week for quick breakfasts and lunches. I like to eat mine with little hot pickled peppers. Mayo is good too, but it's really hard to find/make mayo with acceptable ingredients.

The technique for this roast was found in "The Best Meat Recipes" from the editors of Cook's Illustrated (the America's Test Kitchen people).

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi - just found your blog the other day and I'm looking forward to trying some of your recipes.

Made my own paleo meatloaf last nite for dinner with spaghetti squash, but always looking for new ideas.

Elizabeth said...

Hey thanks for commenting! Your dinner last night sounds pretty good. I'm eyeing up a spaghetti squash myself for dinner tomorrow. :)

Robin said...

Hi Elizabeth! I was wondering where you were, I miss your wonderful recipes and appealing photographs. Welcome back!

Anonymous said...

Looks beautiful! I eat a Traditional Foods diet, but I can see how many TFers would end up as Paleos just because of the amount of work involved in making grains and dairy digestible. Most people can't sprout grains or ferment raw dairy, so the Paleo diet is a much more realistic option for them.

Anyhow, I love your recipes! Keep sharing.

Cheers,
KristenM

Darcey Blue said...

i dont find making mayo very difficult...especially when i can use things like bacon grease or lard to make it! bacon grease mayo kicks much paleo booty! olive oil mayo is pretty good in and of itself...store bought though, it always has soy or canola or something wierd...

Elizabeth said...

Robin - Thanks so much!

Food Renegade - Thanks! It's true, preparing grains and dairy properly for human consumption is definitely a lot of work. That's one of the things I like about paleo. I think of it as paleo being about us adapting to foods, whereas "traditional foods" diets are about adapting foods to us. Less work to let nature take care of it for us rather than the other way around. ;)

Shamana - I would never have thought to make bacon grease mayo!! How does it taste? I've tried making my own mayo with extra virgin olive oil (the only liquid vegetable oil I use in my kitchen) and it was really unappetizing. The only way I've found to make it at home and have is taste good is to use light olive oil, but that stuff goes through just as much processing as other veggie oils do so I'm not a fan of eating it all the time. And forget about the stuff you find at the store.

PaulaG said...

Good to see you're back! The roast looks wonderful. I put a dutch oven on my Christmas list but didn't get one, unfortunately. I may have to just buy one.

Since it is winter I have been very into roasts. It's an easy way to have leftovers to take to work.

TrailGrrl

Anonymous said...

Hey Elizabeth,

Glad you're back to blogging. I don't see an email on your site, I've got a question for you if you have a second.

All the Best,

Andrew R
Go Healthy Go Fit

Elizabeth said...

TrailGrrl - Thanks! Dutch ovens are really great. I use mine all the time, especially when I am cooking something that moves from the stovetop to the oven or vice versa.

Andrew - I emailed you using the form at your site. Hope to hear from you!

Anonymous said...

Wow.. My mouth is watering. That looks delicious!

The Sog

Anonymous said...

Hey Elizabeth,

It must not be working properly. At least I know now!! Thank you.

You can email me at

a (dot) rubalcava (at) yahoo (dot) com

Elizabeth said...

Andrew, I emailed you just now. Let me know if it got through.

Richard Nikoley said...

Just found your blog, Elizabeth. Great work, and can't wait to try some of your makings.

Anyway, I've been having marvelous results with what I call "low & slow," even with steaks.

http://www.freetheanimal.com/root/2008/12/prime-rib-low-slow.html

http://www.freetheanimal.com/root/2008/12/low-slow-cooking-wins-again.html

http://www.freetheanimal.com/root/2009/01/odds-ends-admin-note-a-question-and-food-porn.html

It's so great to be able to have it medium rare (or rare) top to bottom and wall to wall.

Elizabeth said...

Richard - Thanks! Your own low and slow meat looks great too. I just love that wall-to-wall pink. :)

Interesting idea on the second link to use blueberries in the sauce! I might have to try that sometime.

Anonymous said...

Hello Caveman,

I am a true blue fan of yours and love your recipes...but...
I must say, I would be remiss not to mention that I am very surprised about your Roast Beef recipe in that ~salt~ is being used!!!!
Caveman...we are not preserving the hunk of meat for a later date as in the "good ole days"
My father is an "expert" in Roast Beef preperation and we both would "neva, eva" consider or use not even a grain of salt for our roast beef.,,,
I ask you WHY????

Eagerly awaiting your response!!!!

From: Brigitte I. Pajonk
Lattingtown, New York

Unknown said...

Absolutely delicious. I will use this recipe again. Thanks so much!