Inquiry - Questions about how to make a perfect, Tender Roast Beef

[wtdedula]

Hello All;
I have been a home cook and a cooking enthusiast all my life ever since my mother taught me how to make and cookies when I was young.

For the longest time, I have been trying to master the fine art of making tender, thin sliced roast beef like I'd get in a restaurant.

I have heard often that one key to making awesome it to cook it at a low temperature for a long duration (210-degrees for 4 to 5 hours as an example).

I have also heard that packing the roast with salt all over seals in the and improves flavor and tenderness. I have a bunch of questions about this part.

First, how is this done? I have done some research on the internet and have found that the usual way is to make a paste with a lots of and some water and then encase the roast in it. Is this the way and is this the best way ?

And second, Even though I know we're supposed to remove this cap of salt after the roast is finished and before carving, wouldn't this make the roast very, very salty ?

And next, if your answer to the last question is "YES", is there another way other than using salt that would get the same or nearly the same benefit ?

And finally, do restaurants actually use this method of using salt like this ?

Thanks much for answering my questions.

Tim

 

[QSis]

Tim, I don't think the salt-crusted technique is a common one in restaurants. I've never done one. And I've never cooked a roast beef low and slow that has come out rare.

The best way to make a tender, rare roast beef is to start with a great cut of beef. Tenderloin and rib roasts are expensive, but virtually idiot-proof, as long as you only cook them to say 130 degrees internal temp (depending on how rare you want it).

You can make a good roast of beef with lesser cuts, too, slicing it thin helps.

Cooking beef a long time is usually done with tougher cuts, like those used for pot roasts, and briskets. They will be well-done when they are finished.

Lee

 

[Constance]

Qsis is right about starting with a great cut of beef. We have a friend whose sister owns a restaurant...which mean he has access to real prime rib.
His wife cooked a boneless rib roast for us last time we visited.

Here are her instructions:
Place roast fat side up on a 1" layer of rock salt. Insert garlic cloves in ends, pack completely with 1" rock salt, and cook uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or till med/rare on meat thermometer.

And no, it doesn't taste salty...the salt just seals in the juices.

 

[Candocook]

Cook a tender piece of beef to the proper rare to medium rare temp and it will be tender and delicious. The rest if showmanship.

 

[wtdedula]

Hello All;
Thanks for all of the very, very helpful suggestions. I like the fact that Constance actually provided a step-by-step procedure though I learned something from each of your posts. By the way, I am not necessarily after a rare Roast beef in the end but more likely a Medium, Well one actually.

I figured that the long roasting time was important because everything I take out of the crock pot is always tender.

I have a few more questions ...

1) Is there any way for home chef's to get restaurant-grade cuts of beef or do you have to buy in quantity or something like that ?

2) What is the best cut of beef to get from a supermarket if I want to cook it medium-well and have it come out tender and what would be the appropriate time and temperature to cook it at ?

Thank you very much for these additional tips.

Tim

 

[college_cook]

If you want to cook it to medium well, your best bet is to buy a whole tenderloin from a local butcher or supermarket. Unfortunately, this leaves you with a decent amount of silverskin, etc. before you actually to get the "filet" part of the tenderloin. A whole, bone-in rib roast would probably be easier, but would also benefit better from being cooked to med-rare or med. at the most. Choose whichever option you think best.

As for roasting, I do all of mine at 200 degrees, and I don't pack my meat in salt, but I do season it VERY liberally with salt and pepper ( sometimes pepper melange). The best way to get the desired doneness is to get a digital-read remote probe thermometer. It will probably set you back $25-$30, but it sounds like you roast often, so it would be a worthy investment. Any probe thermometer would do, really, but this has the benefit of being able to be left inside the meat, in the oven, and you can set an alarm to go off when your meat's internal temp. gets as hot as you want it.

Remember that when resting, your roast will cook for another 5-7 degrees, depending on size, so take that into account when you are deciding what doneness you want.

 

[kitchenelf]

wtdedula - are you talking about roast beef or pot roast? It sounds to me you are talking more about a pot roast. Low and slow is right for pot roast.

 

[wtdedula]

Thank you very much college_cook for the additional tips. Ah Ha ... you must have read my mind because I actually do have a digital thermometer where I can leave the probe in the meat throughout the entire cooking cycle and also even carry around a receiver unit where I can read the temperature anywhere I am ... even when away from the kitchen.

Sounds good that you want to do yours at 200 degrees. It sounds like a rib roast is a popular cut to roast - just curious what will happen if I try to cook it to medium-well ?

In answer to kitchenelf's question, I am looking to make tender Roast Beef, just like in a restaurant which I can thin-slice and is served with mashed potatoes and gravy.

I also make pot roast from time to time and usually when I do, I use the crock pot so I know what you mean about the long cooking times for a Pot Roast.

Thank you much, all for all of these great suggestions.

Tim

 

[kitchenelf]

Got it - I just had to ask though.

 

[wtdedula]

Thanks, Kitchenelf.

By the way, all ... I found this interesting procfedure while doing a search today -

Simply Recipes: Roast Beef Recipe

I think what I am intriegued by is the method of roasting less tender cuts of beef - more of what you'll likely buy in a supermarket rather than from a butcher or Restaurant supply. I agree with the several who said that if we roast prime (expensive) cuts of beef, a longer cooking time isn't required and as the above article stated, roasting prime grades of beef using the slow cooking method could make them mushy.

However, I am intriegued by the possibility of trying to roast prime cuts and the best I can get my hands on for a shorter cooking duration so I will be on the lookout for places that offer these in my community.

Tim

 

[cjs]

Tim, this is how I used to do it at the hotel - In your roasting pan, get a good sear on all sides of the roast.

Place it in a 450 F. oven for 15-20 min. (for a home-size roast, probably go for about 10 min.) turn the oven down to ~375 and roast until a temperature probe reads 134 F. (for your preference of medium). Let roast sit loosely covered with foil for 10 min. The residual heat will bring the meat up to the 'doneness' you want. Then slice and taste and go to heaven!!

Before searing, be sure to rub lots of Kosher salt and pepper on it. Cooking in or on salt was a technique we did in the 70s (?) and it went out of style almost as fast - not the best way (in my opinion) to do a wonderful cut of beef.

Have fun and good luck.

 

[Greybeard]

But my question is...

If you go to a restaurant and get some of their "Steamship Round" roast beef, it is tender and delicious. But if I buy a Top Round roast at the local market, I can't make it tender. I'm just glad I have my own teeth!

Am I suffering from wishful thinking,or can a Top Round roast be cooked at home so that it's like the wonderful stuff you get at restauraants?

 

[auntdot]

Greybeard thanks for posting.

The Steamship roast is, as I understand it, generally a whole round, which is something no one anyone would cook except for a kazillion people.

Every so often we go to watch horses run counter clockwise around an oval and take a table in a restaurant, actually a fairly nice one, with a buffet that often has one of those.

The outside meat is well, the inside is what I would call medium rare (usually I like rarer than that, but it is OK). And it is faor;u tender - more tender than I am used to round being.

I have wondered how they cook it like that also. Hope someone who knows will be along.

 

[Greybeard]

And it is faor;u tender - more tender than I am used to round being.

Exactly my point! LOL!

I have wondered how they cook it like that also. Hope someone who knows will be along.

 

[sage™]

I used this recipe for a small prime rib I cooked Xmas, came out great. Was a little too rare in center for me but I probably should have used a heavy pan too cook it in. The center reheated for leftovers was still great just putting in microwave.

Let meat get to room tempature first

Prime Rib

Cover prime rib with olive oil. Press on garlic pepper/kosher salt seasoning (the kind with big chunks of salt, very coarse pepper) (Or use the McCormick Montréal Pepper blend)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Yes, that's right, 500 degrees.

When it's HOT HOT HOT, put the uncovered roast inside. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN even once during the entire process.

Leave the oven turned on for 8 minutes per pound of roast (minimum of 40 minutes). Then shut the oven off and leave it in there for a TOTAL of 2 hours (combined HOT time and REST time)

Take it out and cover it with tin foil. Leave it rest on the counter for 15 minutes before cutting. It will be perfectly dark pink in the center, juicy and flavorful.

During the time that the oven is turned on, you will hear sizzling and popping and smoke may even come out of the oven. Do not let this alarm you. Shut the kitchen door and keep the smoke alarm in the house from going insane.

The smell will drive you crazy, but you must resist the temptation to open the oven and peek. The reason this method works is because the initial high heat seers in the juices. The outside of your roast will be crispy and delicious. The inside will be tender and just plain good

 

[Barb L.]

Now I am curious on how it is done. The only time we can or will get prime rib is for the holidays.

 

[GB]

I have seen the salt roasting method for fish, but I have never seen it for roast beef. You basically mix salt, water and some egg white and use that to encase the fish. The fish does not come out salty at all as the salt casing is discarded before eating.

 

[csalt]

I've always used Delia's recipe for roast beef and it's 'spot on' every time.

Search recipes from Delia Online

 

[Jeff G.]

The trick is get your meat ready and have a HOT oven. 350-375F. Start the meat at that temp. After 1/2 hour turn it down to 225 to finish. If you don't "get the meat started" with the hot oven, you take the chance of cooking the moisture out before it gets done. The hot oven sears the outside locking the moisture in.

 

[GB]

Searing does not lock in moisture. All searing does is create flavor.