GRANDMA'S ROAST BEEF

Here’s what Grandma never told you about how to cook a roast. Back in the day, she bought fat hunks of roast because it was the cheapest way to serve all 8 kids. Whether it was top-block or leg of lamb she cooked them all the same. Also, Grandpa liked showing off how cool his stag-handled carving set was; he always shaved off a patch of arm hair right before slicing razor thin portions from the perfectly cooked center-piece. Here’s what else Grandma never told you, she used Kitchen Bouquet to aide the browning process (KB ingredients include caramel color, vegetable base, sodium benzoate and sulfiting agents) and her meat thermometer was perfectly calibrated at all times. 

So, here’s all you really need to roast anything perfectly: high quality meat, a cast-iron pan, a roasting pan with rack (you can roast in the cast-iron pan as well), a properly calibrated oven, a digital meat thermometer, and a ridiculously sharp carving/slicing knife. That’s it! Then, just follow my technique all the way to the table. 

 

GRANDMA'S ROAST BEEF

Ingredients:

• 1 2-3lb Beef Roast: Chuck, Clod, or Top/Eye of Round 
• 1 Tablespoon rendered lard (warmed to liquefy) or neutral oil 
• 1 tablespoon of Sea salt (or Kosher)
• 1/2 tablespoon freshly-cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter  
• A few sprigs of thyme 
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, smashed 

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°. 
2. While the oven comes up to temperature, allow roast to come to room temperature. 
3. When roast is tempered, heat your cast-iron pan while throughly drying the roast with kitchen towels. You can even leave the roast uncovered in your refrigerator to dry out overnight for best results. 
4. With half of the lard or oil, coat the roast and season it liberally with the salt and pepper. 
5. Sear the roast on all sides (in the hot cast-iron with the remaining lard/oil) and place on the roasting rack. Toss the thyme and garlic into the pan and place the butter right on top of the roast. 
6. Place the roast into the oven and cook at 400° for 10 minutes. 
7. After 10 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 325° and roast for an additional 30 minutes. 
8. After 30 minutes, remove the roast from the oven and check the internal temperature by inserting the digital thermometer into the center of the roast. It will probably be in the 100-115° range. Note: If for some reason your roast is in the 125°-135° range (maybe it's a smaller roast like a tri-tip, or leaner like a 100% grass-fed roast), it’s done! If not, see next step. 
9. This is when you need to be like Grandma and start hovering in the kitchen because not everybody's oven heats the same and not all roasts are exactly the same size or shape. 
10. Put the roast back in the oven for 10-15 more minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 128°-132°. At this temperature range, you are safe to remove the roast, lightly tent it with aluminum foil, and allow it to rest for at least 20 minutes—the longer the better. 
11. After the roast has rested, be like Grandpa and slice that bad-boy as thin as you possibly can and against the grain with the sharpest knife you have (make sure to shave some arm hair off first to show how sharp your knife is).
12. Enjoy and don't forget to save the leftovers for Roast Beef salads and sandwiches!