Sunday Roast Beef

I have a distinct memory of rump roast on Sundays growing up.  I doubt we had it every week, but I remember those lovely meals.  Last week, I decided to try to relive this memory with a bit of updating.  I've not made many roasts in my life.  A big hunk o' meat isn't really my thing....except, I see the benefits of them in the sense that once made, there are so many things you can do with the leftovers.  Anyways, I purchased an 8 pound sirloin roast last week, and here's what I did.

First thing I did was research.  How does one make a roast?  There is a lot of debate on this matter on the web.  Methods vary from cooking at a high temperature to very low.  From what I understand, most roast making methods end up with a fairly gray roast.  What I was aiming for was a well browned roast that was pink throughout.  What made sense to me was what I read from America's Test Kitchen, so I tried it with a few additions--and it was good!    In terms of what cut to purchase, everything I have read suggests that "rump roasts" can be one of two cuts--round or sirloin.  I have also read many authors who suggest that round cuts can be very tough and can have a livery taste, so I went with a sirloin roast, which has nice flavor and a bit more fat.  I first cut that huge roast in half and froze the second half for a foray into Italian Beef in the near future.  Next, I put a cooling rack on a cookie sheet, placed the roast on the rack and covered it with a sheet of paper towel. I put this in the refrigerator for a week.  By the end of the week, the outside of the roast was rather leathery, so I used a very sharp slicing knife and cut off the leathery bits.  I did this about 2 hours before cooking and kept it out of the refrigerator before cooking.  Next, I did the cooking.  The total cooking time for my 3 1/2 lb. roast was 2 1/2 hours using this method.  I served my roast with mashed potatoes, gravy, and asparagus broiled with ghee (browned clarified butter), salt and pepper.

Ingredients
1 3-4 lb. Sirloin roast
2 T. Vegetable oil (divided)
2 t. kosher salt
1 t. freshly ground pepper
1 large onion, quartered
2 carrots, sliced into 2 inch pieces
2 stalks celery, sliced into 2 inch pieces
1 sprig thyme

Directions:  Dry age the roast in the refrigerator for 3-7 days (see above for instructions).  2 hours before cooking (4 hours before eating), remove the roast and carefully remove all leathery parts (dog treat!).  20 minutes before cooking, turn your oven on to 250 degrees and rub the roast with 1 T. vegetable oil, salt, and pepper.  Tie the roast so that it is in a nice bundle and will cook evenly.  Heat a roasting pan with remaining 1 T. oil until the oil is smoking.  Add the roast and let it brown without moving it for 3-4 minutes per side.  Add the onions, carrots, celery, and thyme and place, uncovered in the oven. Cook the roast until it registers 110 degrees in the center.  This will take 45 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Raise the oven temperature to 500 degrees.  Finish cooking the roast until it reaches 120 degrees for rare, 125 for medium rare, or 130-140 for well done (but don't do this).  When the roast reaches your desired temperature (I love 125--it is pink throughout and a little rare in the very center for those who like it that way) take it out, remove it from the roasting pan, and place foil on it to let it rest while you make yourself some lovely gravy.  Let the roast rest 15 minutes, remove the strings, slice thinly and serve.

Bonus!  To make gravy, put your pan on a burner on medium.  Add butter to your roasting pan to equal about 2 tablespoons (do not remove the vegetables).  When the butter has melted, add 2 T. flour.  Stir and let this cook for 1 minute.  Add one cup chicken broth and one cup beef broth and stir vigorously.  Cook until thickened.  Season with pepper (probably won't need salt), strain, and serve.