My kind of cooking is the sort where you dump a bunch of stuff in a pot and walk away for several hours. With this is mind, I called my grandmother for help making roast beef. This was the only instance in which I was glad my mother taught Nana how to use an iPad because rather than asking me where her apps were or exclaiming that she “doesn’t have that button” (yes, Nan, you do), I was able to show her what I was doing to make sure it was right. I used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen with my Nana so that, compounded by the fact that Mom recently gave me a roast pan that Nana bought the summer I was born, made for a very nostalgic roast beef!
The recipe
This isn’t one of those family secrets that people guard religiously so here were Nana’s precise instructions:
– Buy a roast, labelled “outside round.” Should be around $12. Put on a plate.
– 1 tbsp. horseradish – rub all over and into roast.
– Montreal steak spice – use liberally, rub all over and into roast.
– Transfer roast to roast pan.
– Dump in vegetables (choose only hearty veggies that won’t turn to mush when cooked for several hours). I used a small bag of baby potatoes (left whole), three quarters of a large bag of baby carrots, and a small white onion (cut in large chunks and spread over the top of the other vegetables). Nana said to not put any onions on top of the roast because that could make it slimy (ew).
– 1 and 1/2 cups beef broth, poured around roast, but not on top of it because you’ll wash away your spice.
– Cook at 400°, allowing about half an hour per pound of roast (I cooked mine for 4 hours).
Ingredient changes
I didn’t change anything because I was aiming for the roast beef I loved when I was young but I will say that the roast was 25 BUCKS, not 12, as advertised. Apparently my Nana has access to magic butchers with fancy low prices.
Ease (or not) of prep
From washing vegetables to rubbing the meat (not a euphemism), prep time took about 20 minutes, which makes this my favourite thing to cook, no matter what it tastes like.
Boyfriend Test: Pass
You can’t really go wrong giving Jeff a hunk of meat and a pile of carrots so he really liked it. He said it was really flavourful and was surprised to hear about the horseradish since neither one of us like it.
Picky Eater Test: Soft pass
I have always been a picky eater. Since I was a kid, I’ve liked only the things I like, nothing more, and none of those things are vegetables. Vegetables are green and that’s the colour of poison, so you’re obviously trying to kill me. I eat vegetables now but with a lot of conditions (if they’re raw, I must have French Onion dip; if they’re cooked, they can’t be mushy, unless we’re talking about mashed potatoes in which case mushy is kind of the point). As an adult, I’ve tried to expand my palette but that’s easier said than done. I endeavour to respond to a dish I’ve never had with “that sounds interesting” rather than immediately turning up my nose, shouting “NO!” and storming off in a huff, like the good little only child I am.
All of that is to say, I enjoyed the roast because I too subscribe to the “beef good” theory, but I also still don’t like horseradish and I could subtly taste that tangy flavour with every bite. I especially enjoy an outside slice of the roast but I avoided that completely because it would have had a much stronger taste. The next time I make this, I will likely do more spice, no horseradish, and add pepper.
I’m sorry I don’t have a picture of the finished product for you (the blog wasn’t yet a twinkle in my eye so I didn’t think to take one). I can’t even take a picture of the leftovers for there are none.
The Curmudgeonly Cook 