Monday, May 18, 2009

Roast Beef, Take One

Yep, take one. Until just a week or so ago I was a roast beef virgin. I had never made a beef roast other than pot roast. Large cuts that need to be timed carefully intimidated me, you see. They tend to be expensive. Which makes screwing them up much worse than, say, some chicken breasts and I have a tendency to overcook things. Plus I don't have a very good thermometer (I really need to get an instant read one) and you shouldn't really cut into it to take a peek to see how it's doing. So, I avoided oven roasts for years. Then my girlfriend came home with a three and a half pound chunk of top round roast. "Look what was on sale!", she said. Oooo-kay. Well, it's too lean to do pot roast, it really needed to be done in the oven. So I did it. And it came out spectacular. It had a great crust and rich, beefy flavor. You can't really tell from the shot, but it was just medium (my girlfriend isn't a medium rare fan). Unfortunately, almost none of my pictures came out. I don't know what happened, but almost all the shots were wicked blurry or dark. So I'm not going to post the whole dealie with this one. But I'm going to be making another one soon and I will time it to get better light and maybe put some fresh batteries in my camera before I start. I pretty much used this method from The Hungry Mouse, with a few minor changes. But like I said, I'll post a recipe after I make it again. This is the roast I made that roast beef hash with, not to mention several really good sandwiches.

Since this post is a bit scanty, here's a behind the scenes shot: The real Bob isn't usually interested when I'm taking pictures, but something about this time got his attention. Can't imagine what...

Remember what I was saying about not having a good thermometer? Check this out: I don't know what temperature you're supposed to cook prok too, but I'm never cooking chicken to 185.



22 comments:

Wandering Coyote said...

Your roast looks great!

There are all kinds of rules & regulations about what temperature to cook different meats to, but unofficially you can do whatever you want, of course. The last time I took a food safety course, which was 4 years ago, I believe chicken had to be cooked to 180F. Out in the real world, it's done by touch.

noble pig said...

Glad you finally did it. It was easy right. Now you'll be a meat fiend!

Bob said...

Wandering Coyote: Thanks! The FDA currently says to cook chicken to 165. I pretty much never take it's temp though, I just cook it till it's done.

noble pig: Heh, me too. It was easy!

Unknown said...

way to go dude!!! looks awesome. I'm glad you finally got past your "fear"...hahaha

tamilyn said...

Mmmmmm, beef. Yum.

Donna-FFW said...

Your roast looks like it was cooked perfectly.. Now I want some of that!

Anonymous said...

Great looking roast! Yum!

Thistlemoon said...

Good job! I have never made a roast before either....is it even the same as pot roast...? I am not too knowledgeable about cuts of meat.

vanillasugarblog said...

your first? wow! well, obviously you totally scored.
now you'll be hooked! if even for the smell it leaves in the house.
wait till you start using a bbq sauce and getting a nice sugary glaze....ok now I'm starved

Reeni said...

Bob has the right idea! Did he get to have a nibble? I've never made one either, for much the same reasons as you. It turned out great for your first time! And you were lovin' on those leftovers, too.

Shane T. Wingerd said...

HA HA Awesome looking roast... My first one could have been used as a ship anchor.. Bravo!!!
Hilarious Thermometer BTW... Prok, the other white meat ;)

Anonymous said...

That's a big 'ol hunk of meat. Looks good!

Heather S-G said...

That roast is cooking beautifully...looks so tempting. And don't EVER throw that thermometer away...prok. ha ha ha ha.

Spryte said...

Wow! That's beautiful!!

Isn't doing your first perfect roast the best feeling?

Bob said...

ImStuffed: Thanks, I'm glad I finally did it too. I'm probably going to make another one on Friday. Heh.

tamilyn: Thanks!

Donna: Sorry kiddo, it's all gone. Next time I'll send you a slice. :)

5 Star Foodie: Thanks!

JennDZ: Thanks! No, it's a different cut. Much more lean, which is why you don't want to over cook it or braise it. I was surprised at how easy it was to make. It just took a little paying attention and a lot of leaving the oven closed. Heh.

Dawn: I love the idea of a bbq roast! Next time...

Reeni: Heh, no Bob doesn't eat roast beef, he just likes to investigate. Noodles loves it though.

Culinary Alchemist: Thanks! Ha! That's what I was worried about. Oh, so you've had prok? It's a white meat? I can't seem to find it around here... :D

duo: Thanks!

girlichef: Thank! I'm not going to throw it away, it's way too hilarious.

Spryte: Thanks, it totally is.

Karen said...

Wow, this looks delicious... all I could think of when I saw it was some of it sliced real thin on a buttery soft bun with some au jus... YUM! Next time I cook some prok, I'll be sure to cook it to 170.

Dewi said...

Oh, what a coincidence. My husband and I were talking about how long we haven't had this classic roast beef, and that I must try to make it this weekend. Thanks you for posting.

Noob Cook said...

That's a huge stab of beef! Even your cat is eyeing it :D Can't wait for the recipe.

Michele said...

Bob I was also afraid to tackle roast beef. I still need to try it again until I get comfortable. It looks great!

By the way - thank you so much i can't believe i left out the picture! It's up now!

Mari said...

LMAO @ your "Prok" thermometer! That is hilarious! Your roast looks SUPER -delicious though, I definitely look forward to another post about this!

Claudia said...

I love when food goes on sale - and I buy it - and then I need to figure out what to do with it. Your girlfriend did you a grand favor - it looks perfect.

Anonymous said...

I'm a roast beef virgin too. thanks for sharing this! I can't wait for take 2!

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