Cooking A Roast. Preferably Small.

[Mylegsbig]

Want to make a roast, gonna buy a roasting pan.

Thing is i don't want some 4lb roast because im on a diet and it is just me and my fiance living here.

Are there any delicious high end cuts of meat to roast that are around 2 lbs?

Any ideas?

Also, what is the best way to cook a roast to make it come out tender? Ive heard of people using oven bags. Are those good?

also what should i look for in a good roasting pan? They are oval and have like 4 inch elevated sides right? What is the best material for them to be made of?

Cheers.

Also - Can i throw in big chunks of carrots and potatoes in there with the roast? Will they cook evenly?

Cheers. Also feel free to throw any of your favorite ways to prepare a roast if you'd choose.

 

[Gretchen]

Don't use oven bags--it steams the roast and there is no brown crust.
A sirloin tip roast is a tasty piece of meat, not terribly tender, but if you carve it across the grain in thin slices, it is quite nice.
You can roast meat in a 9X13 casserole dish.
You can put potatoes and veggies in to roast with the roast.
If you want a very nice tender cut you will need to go to sirloin or ribeye.

 

[Mylegsbig]

Can i get a sirloin or ribeye in around 2 lbs?

i want to cook it slow. 250 degrees ok?

how do you time the vegetables? do you just leave em in there the whole time and pray they are ok?

if i cook the roast in a roasting pan, sitting on top of a rack, where do i put the veggies? on the rack too or in the pan below?

cheers

 

[FryBoy]

Are there any delicious high end cuts of meat to roast that are around 2 lbs?

Try a 2-pound piece of filet or a sirloin roast (New York Strip).

...what is the best way to cook a roast to make it come out tender?

Rub it with olive oil and garlic, season it with a little salt and a lot of pepper. Cook at high temperauture (400), uncovered, and use a meat thermometer. 120 is about medium rare.

Ive heard of people using oven bags. Are those good?

NO! These work by holding in the moisture, which makes for steamed meat. The essence of roasting is dry heat that allows the surface to sear and carmelize.

...what should i look for in a good roasting pan? They are oval and have like 4 inch elevated sides right? What is the best material for them to be made of?

I prefer stainless since it's easy to clean. Oval or rectangular are both good. No cover. You need a roasting rack -- the meat should be above the bottom of the pan to allow heat to circulate and to avoid cooking the meat in the fat drippings.

Can i throw in big chunks of carrots and potatoes in there with the roast? Will they cook evenly?

No, they take much longer than a 2-pound roast. Now if you're doing a pot roast, that's another thing -- cooked entirely differently.

HTH!

 

[Gretchen]

Yes, you can get a 2# roast. I would get a ribeye.

 

[FryBoy]

If you do want something well done with veggies in a sauce, like a pot roast rather than a steak or prime rib, consider a brisket.

I have cooked brisket a dozen ways or more, and had it another 20, and they were all great!

As for diet, brisket is very lean.

 

[Mylegsbig]

Try a 2-pound piece of filet or a sirloin roast (New York Strip).



Rub it with olive oil and garlic, season it with a little salt and a lot of pepper. Cook at high temperauture (400), uncovered, and use a meat thermometer. 120 is about medium rare.



NO! These work by holding in the moisture, which makes for steamed meat. The essence of roasting is dry heat that allows the surface to sear and carmelize.



I prefer stainless since it's easy to clean. Oval or rectangular are both good. No cover. You need a roasting rack -- the meat should be above the bottom of the pan to allow heat to circulate and to avoid cooking the meat in the fat drippings.



No, they take much longer than a 2-pound roast. Now if you're doing a pot roast, that's another thing -- cooked entirely differently.

HTH!

so the low and slow temperatures are for a lower cut of meat? a tenderloin roast should be cooked at a much higher temp?

 

[BreezyCooking]

I know you said you didn't want a large roast, but keep in mind that roast leftovers are wonderful - & don't have to be fattening - in so may ways!!

They can be used in stirfries, sliced & served over salad greens, in sandwich wraps, etc., etc.

 

[FryBoy]

As for temperature, my comment about high heat really comes from the size of your roast. At 2 pounds, your best bet is a large steak, which I assume you want to come out like a steak -- well done on the outside, pink in the middle. A low temperature with something that small would tend to produce a roast that's gray all the way through, or at least it would be less seared on the outside.

Long, slow (low temperature) cooking in liquid is important for less tender cuts of meat, like a pot roast.

Slow cooking is also important with large roasts, including tender cuts such as a rib roast, but such cuts should be cooked dry. However, many people prefer to start such roasts at high temperature (450) to sear the outside, then reduce the oven to something like 300. This tends to seal in the juices.

 

[Mylegsbig]

Fryboy i want it to be roast like, not just like a steak. i mean that meat that you can just kind of shred and pull apart and put a gravy on top

 

[FryBoy]

Fryboy i want it to be roast like, not just like a steak. i mean that meat that you can just kind of shred and pull apart and put a gravy on top

Ah, that's a different proposition! You want a pot roast. Forget everything I said, or at least just file it away for future use.

Two pounds is a problem, but you can probably find a brisket around that size (get an end cut, not the point cut). But I would suggest something a bit larger, either a bigger brisket or a chuck, 7-bone, round, etc. A cross-rib chuck is one of my favorites. You can easily reheat or freeze the leftovers, so size isn't a big deal with pot roasts.

You can look up recipes in just about any American cookbook for pot roast. The basics are pretty much the same -- brown the meat, add veggies (onions, carrots, potatoes, etc.) and liquid (broth, wine, beer), and cover and bake for a couple of hours at low temperature. You may want to wait until the last hour to add the veggies, it I like them to partially dissolve in the gravy. It's pretty hard to screw up.

 

[ironchef]

Fryboy i want it to be roast like, not just like a steak. i mean that meat that you can just kind of shred and pull apart and put a gravy on top

MLB, remember that when you slow cook beef to get this type of texture, you're only going to get about a 60% yield factor from the meat. So, a 2 lb. (32 oz.) roast will give you about 19-20 oz. of meat. Maybe that will be enough for the two of you.

With that being said, Fryboy gave you some good suggestions on the cut. Chuck would probably be the easiest to find, and it comes in a variety of sizes. I would use that.

 

[FryBoy]

Bistro Garden Pot Roast

I hunted through our recipe clippings for a small pot roast and found this one. It's from the L.A. Times, but I've made some minor changes. The Bistro Garden is a well-known, old-time restaurant in L.A., and this pot roast is delicious and easy to make. I prefer to leave the veggies in the sauce, and to slice the meat and return it to the sauce before serving (I like a LOT of sauce with my pot roast).

Bistro Garden Pot Roast

2 1/2 pounds cross-cut chuck roast, trimmed of fat
salt, pepper
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
dash of sugar
pinch of dried rosemary or thyme
1/4 cup tomato purée
2 cups dry red wine
1/4 cup flour
2 cups water (approximate)
1 tablespoon butter

Season beef with salt and pepper.

Heat oil over medium-high heat in roasting pan and sear beef until evenly brown on all sides, about 15 minutes total. Remove meat from pan and set aside.

Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, sugar and herb of choice to pot. Sauté over medium heat until onion is browned, about 15 minutes.

Add tomato purée and sauté several seconds.

Add wine and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced by half, about 20 minutes more.

Add flour to sauce, stirring until smooth. If needed, add enough water to thin sauce to consistency of a thin gravy or thick soup. Simmer a few minutes.

Return beef and any accumulated juices to pan and bring sauce to boil.

Cover and bake at 350° until beef is fork-tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Remove beef and keep warm.

Skim off fat and strain sauce (or leave the vegetables in the sauce if you prefer). Heat sauce and simmer until thickened and reduced slightly, about five minutes.

Adjust seasoning. Swirl in butter and mix well.

Slice meat and serve with sauce, or if desired, return meat to sauce before serving.

 

[FryBoy]

BTW, you'll note that there are no potatoes in this dish. The recipe suggests serving with potato pancakes, but simple steamed or roasted potatoes would be good, too -- adding potatoes to the sauce is possible, but that hides their distinct flavor. Or you could serve it with just good bread or rolls to sop up the gravy.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Good grief - glad you piped in and clarified your request. Talk about apples vs. oranges.

While pot roast does make lovely leftovers, they're definitely not the same as a leaner cut roast beef.

 

[suzyQ3]

"also what should i look for in a good roasting pan? They are oval and have like 4 inch elevated sides right? What is the best material for them to be made of?"

Now that we've established that you're talking about a pot roast and not something like tenderloin or a rib roast, the suggestions for a pan are different.

You can basically use any pan with a lid that's deep enough to hold the meat, veggies, and liquid. I've done pot roasts in large skillets and dutch ovens, but my preference now is a good-quality enameled cast iron round or oval oven. Le Creuset and Staub are excellent and come in a variety of sizes and colors. I have both a 5 qt and a 7 qt oval by Staub. The oval shape is terrific for long cuts of meat like brisket and for lamb or veal shanks.

I also have a really versatile 6 3/4 quart round "risotto" pan by Le Creuset that, because it's wider and shallower than the usual dutch oven, is perfect for browning and then roasting or braising. I got a great price on a brand-new one on eBay.

 

[FryBoy]

That's a very good point. You might also want to consider the less expensive Dutch ovens made by Lodge. Check the prices on Amazon.com.

 

[suzyQ3]

That's a very good point. You might also want to consider the less expensive Dutch ovens made by Lodge. Check the prices on Amazon.com.

They are good buys. But unless they're enamelled, I would hesitate to use tomatoes or tomato-based sauce, which is why when egullet did their testing to determine the best vessel for braising, they didn't include regular cast iron.

Also, IIRC, it's not advisable to store cooked food in cast iron, whereas it's perfectly fine to do so with the enamelled type. Sometimes it is just so convenient to stick the pot in the fridge and then reheat it the next day.

 

[FryBoy]

Which is why the good stuff costs more.

In truth, you can use a large covered Pyrex bowl for cooking this stuff in the oven, but then you'd end up with two dirty pots.

 

[suzyQ3]

Best to have all the necessary information before making a decision. Sometimes what seemed expensive turns out to be fairly cost-effective in the long run, if it's more adaptable and more user-friendly.

Personally, the extra cost is worth it to me if I don't have to worry about ingredients or storage. Plus....the colors are so cool.