Roast Beef

From Paul Curtis

In the words of the experienced restaurateur, gastronome,  and Old Colony Club Member, Mr. G. Gregory White, "Salt is the key to the whole thing". Your physician may take issue with this suggestion, but then physicians once thought it a good idea to bleed patients with leeches.  Mr. White is quite right in his assertion. Salt really brings out the flavor of the meat if it is spread very liberally on the fat back side of the beef prior to roasting. Of course there are other spicing variations to the art of roasting beef, but the key ingredient to a good roast beef  is indeed salt.

Ingredients:

• Salt

• A good roast - prime rib,  or a top or eye round

• Do not select chuck  for oven roasting. Roasting makes it too tough; save it to make a great pot roast.

To prepare:

1. Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees.

2. Place the roast on a rack over a roasting pan (or in the pan itself if a rack is not available)  with the fat side up.

3. Salt back very liberally ( I mean dump it on there).

4. Sprinkle with black pepper.

5. (optional) Rub with fresh garlic. This is variation to traditional roast beef. If you are making Yorkshire pudding I would not use garlic or go sparingly.

6. Place in 500 degree oven and immediately reduce heat to 325 degrees.

7. Periodically baste the beef with the drippings to keep it from drying out and for extra flavor.

8. For medium rare beef, roast for about 20 minutes to the pound. Roast slightly longer for well done roasts.

A good meat thermometer is a handy thing when cooking a roast. Ideal medium rare temperature is about 140 degrees at the center. Do not leave the thermometer in the roast during cooking. It can damage the thermometer and poison the meat.

Save the drippings for gravy and Yorkshire pudding

For more drippings, ask your butcher for some suet to roast along with the beef. The Hilltop Steakhouse in Braintree gives you a good bag of suet if you ask. It's all fresh cut and free too.