Eye of round is a notoriously easy piece of beef to turn into a block of dry, unpalatable, tough meat with very little flavor. So the first step in the cooking process was a 24-hour dry brine in a healthy dose of salt, which adds flavor and helps retain moisture.
after a good salt scrub, the roast gets coated with black pepper
After 24 hours in the fridge, I seared the roast off in a skillet, skewered with it a probe thermometer, which allowed me to monitor the internal temp without opening the oven door, and placed it in a 225 degree oven, for a very low-heat roast. CI suggests cutting off the oven heat when the roast hits 120, and letting the roast continue to cook in the the slowly cooling oven. That scared me, because I know from experience that there is a tremendous amount of thermal gain, so I cut off the oven heat at 115. Good thing I was paying attention. In just 20 minutes, the roast hit 130 degrees. I yanked it out of the oven and set it on the counter. It finally stopped gaining temp at 138 degrees, which in my book is pretty much in medium territory--not medium rare. I let it rest for another 20 minutes, then sliced very thin slices.
the meat was juicy and tender, just a little too done--
I would use this method again
So the roast was a partial success. We would like more rosy pink than we got. Next time, I would cut off the heat when the roast hits 100 degrees, or maybe even 95 degrees. We have a newer, well-insulated oven, and I'm pretty sure that the residual heat would bring the roast up to my target of 130 degrees. There is no good cooking without experimentation...
While the roast cooked, I made a warm German potato salad to go along side beef sandwiches on onion rolls, with a horseradish cream sauce. If you aren't familiar with German potato salad, it is a vinegar-based warm salad with no mayo in sight. It has a tangy bite, and new potatoes with bits of sauteed veggies, bacon, and a few handfuls of chopped green onion and parsley for garnish. Like American potato salad there are nearly as many recipes for it as there are cooks, so it's easy to poke around the web until you find one you like. But, the basics start with sauteing some bacon cut into little chunks and putting some little new potatoes on to boil.
you know bacon is done when you start to see small foaming bubbles
(using my French steel pan here--I swear, NOTHING sticks)
Bacon comes out, and veggies go in. In this case I used red onion, diced celery, and a hot chile.
no harm in varying your veggies, but onion is really a must
While that cooks just until the veggies are beginning to soften, it is time to scream in pain. The potatoes should be sliced while they are still piping hot. That way they will soak up all the lovey dressing. Do it. Pain is good for you. Once you have burnt the skin off of your finger tips, toss about a quarter cup of vinegar and a quarter cup of water into the veggies, along with a heaping teaspoon of sugar, and some salt and pepper. If you want a silkier sauce, stir a teaspoon of corn starch into the water before you add it to the skillet. I don't think it is necessary, but it is certainly an option. Drop the bacon back in the sauce, dump it over the steaming potatoes, and stir.
some fresh green onion adds some brightness--I add it
right away, then toss in some parsley after the salad has cooled a little
If you have leftover potato salad, just warm it up in the microwave a bit before you serve--it's just so much better a little bit warm.
beef--it's what's for dinner
how come I don't sound like Robert Mitchum when I say that?
No comments:
Post a Comment