Roast Beef

[Baker Boy]

Hi Guys,

I am roasting a nice Roast beef .

Does anybody have a great recipe ? ( for The Rub)

also what should the perfect internal temp read for a moist beef.

and also a perfect gravy.

I have special people to impress and i am only a baker.

any thoughts would be appreciated.

[mredikop]

Hi baker boy!

Not sure this is the right place for this as it is the Introduction section but...

For medium-rare the roast beef should be 145°F - 150ºF after a 15 minute resting period and for medium it should be 150°F to 165ºF. When you check the temperature and it is like 5 degrees under what you are shooting for remove it from the pan and cover loosely with foil. That way the juices settle in. It also makes it easier to cut.

Depending on what you are going for you may want to sear the outside on all sides to seal it before you roast it. Gives a great outer "crust" and seal is moisture. You could also braise it for a more moist result.

As far as rubs go what flavor are you shooting for. Some seasoning mixes do the trick really well. Like a store bought Cajun seasoning could work fine. Since salt will dry the meat out I would make sure you leave that out and sprinkle at the end. I personally like stuff like cayenne, cumin, coriander, fennel and stuff like that but generally I don't use a rub.

[Baker Boy]

Thanks!

For your Information.

What do you braise yours with wine or beef stock?

[mredikop]

Well beef stock would be good but I would also add some red wine otherwise you are adding beef flavor to beef. LOL

If you braise make sure you sear the whole outside of the meat in a hot pan with a little extra virgin olive oil. Then you can dump seasonings, onions, peppercorns (crush them a little under a pot first), chopped garlic, fennel seeds, caraway, or whatever you like to about half way. Don;t cover the meat or you are stewing rather than braising.

[Mezzaluna]

Moving to an appropriate forum....

[Mezzaluna]

Me again... Stop in the Welcome Forum to introduce yourself when you get the chance, Baker Boy!

Roasting and braising are very different- I would call braised beef "pot roast" rather than roast beef because it's not roasted.

I like mredikop's suggestions and will add that I prefer rib roast because (at least in the U.S.) it's the cut with the best marbling and will keep the meat moist, juicy and flavorful inside. My no-fail strategy now includes a probe thermometer that you can set to the desired temperature. The electronic part that you leave outside the oven will beep when the meat hits the pre-set temperature. I like mine medium rare toward rare, so I set it for 130F and leave it to rest about 20 minutes. Yum!

[Pete]

For medium-rare the roast beef should be 145°F - 150ºF after a 15 minute resting period and for medium it should be 150°F to 165ºF.

Those temps are a little high to get the donenesses you state. MR is more like 130-135, Med 140-145, MW 150-155 and Well done 160+. I know the USDA guidelines are a little higher than that but most chefs feel that they are way off base, and have created the "new" temperatures in the interest of public safety, not in being true to the standards which have been used for years.

[greyeaglem]

I like to marinate the roast in garlic, soy sauce and white grenache. I like grenache because it's light and lets the beef flavor come through for your jus or gravy. I let the roast marinate over night and then roast dry. I don't save the marinade, but I suppose you could and use a little in your accompanying sauce or jus.

[deltadoc]

Originally Posted by mredikop

Hi baker boy!

Depending on what you are going for you may want to sear the outside on all sides to seal it before you roast it. Gives a great outer "crust" and seal is moisture.

Just a technical point. I think it is pretty much agreed by chef experts that searing the outside does not "seal in moisture". It adds carmelization, which is great for flavor, but that's about all it does.

doc

[Mezzaluna]

Pete, I realized my typo and changed the "out of the oven" temp to 130- that's what I actually do!

Delta Doc is correct: both Harold McGee and Alton Brown have debunked this old chestnut. Searing adds flavor but does not preserve moisture. This was discussed in Mr. McGee's visit with us. Have a look at the conversation from a year ago: To sear or not to sear

[mredikop]

Originally Posted by deltadoc

Just a technical point. I think it is pretty much agreed by chef experts that searing the outside does not "seal in moisture". It adds carmelization, which is great for flavor, but that's about all it does.

doc

Thanks for the tip deltadoc. It may just be my perception based on my experience but it has seemed to keep the meat more moist when I get a good sear on the outside. Of course perception and reality aren't always consistent are they?

Mezzaluna: On a side note I love Alton Brown.

baker boy: I thought about your situation some more last night while I was making pizza. Well actually first I was thinking about "Top Chef" on Bravo beacause I was watching it in between steps but then I was thinking of your roast. If you haven't already bought it there are plenty of other dishes you could prepare that are fairly simple and way more impressive. If you want to stick with the roast you might try dressing it up a little when you plate it. After you braise you could strain the liquid (save it) and then pour some of the garlic/shallots/onions etc. from the strainer into a hot pan with some olive oil then deglaze with red wine and then pour some of the stock in with a few pinches of gravy flour, corn or potato starch, rue or just regular flour to thicken it and reduce down to desired thickness and pour that over the slices when you serve it. Also garnishes and what plates you use can go a long way too.

Good luck let us all know how it goes.

[mudbug]

Originally Posted by mredikop

Mezzaluna: On a side note I love Alton Brown.

If this is the case, you might have seen the Rib Roast episode which aired twice last night? If you missed it, it airs again tomorrow night. Look here to check listings for your time zone. They roast at 200 F degrees to in internal temp of 118 F degrees and finish for 15 minutes at 500 F degrees.

[mredikop]

I missed it actually I was busy watching "Top Chef". LOL

[mudbug]

Originally Posted by mredikop

I missed it actually I was busy watching "Top Chef". LOL

Both air twice in the same evening. If you miss it the first time, look for it three hours later.
You can always set your VCR, DVR, or Tivo.

[mredikop]

Duely noted. LOL