With Gravy
With the
holidays ‘a coming we all want to do something hearty and protein rich with which to warm
friends and family . Unfortunately, with employment opportunities in the
dumpster for anyone born after 1980, buying a roast beef can seem like a BIG
expense for something you’re only going to enjoy once.
But it doesn’t have
to be that way.
A roast can be a
great investment if you’re frugal and willing to learn how to stretch it. With a few clever tricks, you can use a roast for over 3 meals instead of just the big one. I’m ready
and willing to show you how.
But first, you
need to learn how to make a roast beef.
The trick a
moist, tasty roast is patience and a good gravy.
Here’s How You Do It
Difficulty
Level: Medium -Easy
Prep
time: 15 Minutes
RoastingTime: 60 to 90 minutes or more depending on the size of your roast
Serves
4 to 12 depending on the size of the roast you get and the number of side
dishes you serve with it
Ingredients
1 Rib Roast of Beef - I’m not specifying a size here because I’m
going to give guidelines that you can tweak based on how big a roast you get. A
three and a half pound beef roast will serve 4 people. Add a half pound for
every meat eater you’ll be serving to estimate the size you’ll need. To save
even more money, buy when it’s on sale and freeze. It will keep in the freezer for up to three months and you can thaw it out in the fridge three or four days before
you need to cook it.
Salt and Pepper OR Montreal Steak Spice –
I prefer the latter as
it has more dimension in flavor, but salt and pepper is easier to come by.
Vegetable Oil
GRAVY
Yields about 2 ½ Cups of Gravy
2 Cups Beef Broth
1 Cup Red Wine
1 Teaspoon of Worcestshire Sauce
1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon of Red Wine or Balsamic Vinegar
½ Teaspoon of Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon of Canned Cranberry Sauce
(Optional) – It adds
wonderful sweetness and depth, but it’s not necessary
Salt – To Taste
1 Tablespoon of Softened Butter Mashed Together
with 1 ½ Tablespoons of All Purpose Flour
Equipment
Measuring Cups and Spoons
1 Whisk
1 Frying Pan
1 Baking Dish
1 Pair of Tongs
1 Small Mixing Bowl
1 Large Cutting Board
Kitchen scale – You can get one of these for as little as
10 bucks.
1 Serrated Knife
ROAST
Weigh your roast
as its weight will determine the roasting time.
Preheat the oven
to 350 oF.
In the small
mixing bowl, combine the vegetable oil and salt and pepper.
Rub it all over
the meat.
Heat your flying
pan on high and brown the roast on all sides, turning it once one side is brown
using your trusty tongs.
Put the roast in
your baking pan and pop it in the oven. Set the frying pan aside but don’t wash
it yet. You’ll need it to make your gravy.
For a Rare roast
beef, roast it 15 minutes for every pound of meat you have. For Medium Rare, 20
minutes per pound. For Medium, 25 minutes, per pound, and if you like it well
done, 30 minutes per pound.
Once your roast
is done, take it out of the oven put it on a cutting board to rest for 15
minutes. DO NOT CUT INTO IT! Cutting the meat before it has rested will dry it
out!
Instead, use the time to make
your gravy.
Dump the beef
stock and wine in your baking pan and whisk it, making sure to scrap all the
brown bits that came off the meat from the bottom of the pan.
Pour everything
into the frying pan you used earlier and put the heat on medium-high.
Add the Soy Sauce,
Worcestershire Sauce, Vinegar, Cranberry Sauce (if using) and Dijon mustard and whisk to
break up the cranberry (it’s a bit gelatinous and needs some work) and evenly combine everything.
Bring to a boil
and simmer until the liquid has reduced by a third (about 10 or 15 minutes).
Whisk in the
butter and flour mixture, a little at a time until the gravy is thick enough
for you.
Salt the gravy to
your taste and pour into your desired serving vessel – a coffee mug and a spoon
will work fine for this if you don’t have a gravy boat.
When the meat
has rested long enough, carve it against the grain of the meat using a serrated
knife and serve!
Wrap up the bones
and any leftovers and put them in the fridge. Stay tuned for next time when I’ll show you
how to transform them into amazing meals!
Enjoy!
-Samantha R.
Gold
Questions?
Comments? Requests?
Bring it on!
I can be
reached at: for.the.culinarily.challenged@gmail.com
Trolls will
be unceremoniously deleted and dismissed.
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