traditionally, autumn and winter are times for warm food prepared in a hot oven. The sort of thing that heats a house and heart with spice and aroma, that sticks to ones ribs and feeds a primordial hunger for meat and fattening for hard times. Even now, when we can get any tropical fruit shipped to a snow-bound suburb, we tend to congregate about the hearth and hot meals. Hot cocoa, warm puddings, anything fed with flame warms us in the winter months and holiday season.
In this time, I so enjoy a cozy knit and the idea of red wine in front of a fireplace. I have the knits, and the wine, but no fireplace. Still my house is pretty cozy without it. When the snow begins falling softly and seems to cover all other sounds with whispers, the idea of a sizzling roast in the oven and mashed potatoes on their way seems all to decadent. When I consider how easy both are, it makes me smile and break out the invitations.
Lately, I've also been more excited about the traditional in my clothing. Sweaters that used to belong to my mom combine so nicely with old skiing socks that were my dad's. Boots and the simplest of jewelry combine to make a basic but most cozy outfit. In a few months I'll be going crazy, begging for sunlight and warmth and freedom from layers, but now it's still a novel experience to bundle up against the elements. The sky is still a windblown, heather-filled, lavender blue and snow is so close you can smell it. Once Thanksgiving ends, Christmas begins. It is a magical time of year for the child in all of us: the one who still turns out the lights and leaves the fairy lights to glow in the tree, falling asleep on the couch to Bing Crosby and the scent of fir and vanilla in the air.
Roast Beef
1 large chunk of beef (usually to be found at your grocer or local butcher, labeled beef roast)
kosher salt
pepper
2 to 4 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
Turn your oven to 400 degrees and heat a large cast iron roasting pan or high-sided skillet on top of your stove. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and allow it to become hot. Place the roast in the skillet, sprinkling with the salt & pepper. Allow the roast to brown, then turn and brown again so that all sides become browned a slightly crunchy (this will take a minute or two per side). Once all sides are browned, coat the top with a bit more salt and pepper, also any herbs you like (such as rosemary) with beef. Remove from the heat and place, covered, into the hot oven. Allow to roast for 2 to 3 hours, depending upon the size of your roast. Even a small roast (four pounds or so) will feed four or five or more people.
Continue to check the water level in the pan as you are cooking, as you will want the bottom to become slightly dry but never burn. If all the liquid evaporates, add enough water (or red wine) to cover the bottom of the pan.Once the roast is cooked through but not dry or overdone (you'll want the internal temperature to be no more than 160 degrees F as you remove the roast from the oven).
Remove then place on a carving plate (just a regular dinner plate is fine). Allow the meat to rest while you whip the mashed potatoes and make the gravy.
Gravy
Place the hot roasting pan backonto the top of the stove on high heat. Allow any liquid (ideally, there won't be much or any at all) to come to a boil or the drippings to begin to pop, hiss, and spit. Add enough water to come up an inch or two on the sides of the pan, scrapping the flavorful bits into the liquid. Allow it to come to a boil. If you do not have enough drippings in the pan to make a dark broth, add some canned or packaged beef broth to the pan and allow it to boil.
Mix no more than one cup flour and enough water to make a smooth slurry together in a separate bowl. This is your thickening agent. Slowly pour this into the boiling broth, whisking everything together to prevent lumps. Add only half of you mixture at first until you see if the gravy is the correct consistency. Add more if it is too thin, more water if it is too think for you & your family's preferences. Allow it to again come to a boil to cook the flour, then place in a serving dish. Slice the meat with a large sharp knife and serve.
"Be well. Do good work. Keep in touch." - Garrison Keillor
In this time, I so enjoy a cozy knit and the idea of red wine in front of a fireplace. I have the knits, and the wine, but no fireplace. Still my house is pretty cozy without it. When the snow begins falling softly and seems to cover all other sounds with whispers, the idea of a sizzling roast in the oven and mashed potatoes on their way seems all to decadent. When I consider how easy both are, it makes me smile and break out the invitations.
1 large chunk of beef (usually to be found at your grocer or local butcher, labeled beef roast)
kosher salt
pepper
2 to 4 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
Turn your oven to 400 degrees and heat a large cast iron roasting pan or high-sided skillet on top of your stove. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and allow it to become hot. Place the roast in the skillet, sprinkling with the salt & pepper. Allow the roast to brown, then turn and brown again so that all sides become browned a slightly crunchy (this will take a minute or two per side). Once all sides are browned, coat the top with a bit more salt and pepper, also any herbs you like (such as rosemary) with beef. Remove from the heat and place, covered, into the hot oven. Allow to roast for 2 to 3 hours, depending upon the size of your roast. Even a small roast (four pounds or so) will feed four or five or more people.
Continue to check the water level in the pan as you are cooking, as you will want the bottom to become slightly dry but never burn. If all the liquid evaporates, add enough water (or red wine) to cover the bottom of the pan.Once the roast is cooked through but not dry or overdone (you'll want the internal temperature to be no more than 160 degrees F as you remove the roast from the oven).
Remove then place on a carving plate (just a regular dinner plate is fine). Allow the meat to rest while you whip the mashed potatoes and make the gravy.
Gravy
Place the hot roasting pan backonto the top of the stove on high heat. Allow any liquid (ideally, there won't be much or any at all) to come to a boil or the drippings to begin to pop, hiss, and spit. Add enough water to come up an inch or two on the sides of the pan, scrapping the flavorful bits into the liquid. Allow it to come to a boil. If you do not have enough drippings in the pan to make a dark broth, add some canned or packaged beef broth to the pan and allow it to boil.
Mix no more than one cup flour and enough water to make a smooth slurry together in a separate bowl. This is your thickening agent. Slowly pour this into the boiling broth, whisking everything together to prevent lumps. Add only half of you mixture at first until you see if the gravy is the correct consistency. Add more if it is too thin, more water if it is too think for you & your family's preferences. Allow it to again come to a boil to cook the flour, then place in a serving dish. Slice the meat with a large sharp knife and serve.
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