Broiled or Roast Beef

These two terms are really one and the same. Broiled meat is roasted in front of a fire or heat source. In colonial, pioneer and the days before stoves, meat was cooked before the fireplace. Since that time, many Canadians have never tasted meat which has truly been roasted.

Modern Roasting

In the modern North American kitchen, meat or poultry is seldom, if ever, roasted.

We may bake it, in the oven, (reflected heat); in which case the result is very similar to roasting; but nine times out of ten the meat or poultry will be braised.

And in that one instance out of ten, when we do roast (bake) something; the baking methods have changed in the past few years.

Roasting (baking) is now so simply done, with temperature-controlled ovens. In plain, shallow, open pans; without covers that it is hard to believe so much confusion exists over the method --or that a uniformly browned meat will result.

Searing is not really necessary. The meat is placed fat side up, on a rack (a better tasting gravy is produced, if coarsely cut vegetable-a mirepoix- are placed under the meat) in a shallow pan, and the fat drips over the meat as it cooks, keeping it moist and juicy. Water should Never, Ever, under any circumstance, be used with any meat or fowl which is to be roasted.

Water is used only to steam (braise) less tender cuts prepared in the oven or on the top burners. The addition of any type of liquid, or tight cover, produces steam and you are automatically braising.

Have you ever wondered: why all the great international chefs-those in major hotels and restaurants-have a European background?

One of the great unanswerable mysteries to the culinary world is why so many North Americans, buy a good roasting cut and then throw their money away; because they choose to braise, steam and most often overcook the meat.

Perhaps it would help and save a lot of money, if they actually learned how to cook, which this cookbook can help at least you to do.

Roasting Methods

Note: Regardless of the method used, the successful roasting of any meat (or vegetable, for that matter) requires an adequate amount of fat. Preferably this will be present through natural "marbling" of the meat but leaner cuts can be "larded". The fat gives the meat flavour, prevents it from drying out thus giving a juicy product and aids in the breakdown of the connective tissue thus making it tender. Fat, of course, must be added for all vegetables.

Basic, Even Temperature Roasting Method=While all meats can be cooked successfully from the frozen state, it is probably best to let them stand for at least an hour at room temperature, especially if you are going to use a meat thermometer.

1. Wipe the meat with a damp cloth, do not wash.

2. Rub with salt in proportion to 1/2 tsp. per lb. of meat. Use garlic, onion, or pepper, if desired.

3. Place meat, fat side up on a rack, in a shallow pan (so as not to steam the roast). A layer-cake pan is ideal for a small roast, and your broiler pan is excellent for a larger roast. If no fat is on the meat, lay thick strips of bacon, salt pork, side pork or suet on it. This fat will self-baste the meat and no other basting is needed.

4. Roast in constant low temperature oven--300--325 F. for all meats except fresh pork; it may be cooked at 350 F. Low heat cooks the meat more evenly, more slowly, and browns it last, not first. Best of all, it costs less to cook.

5. Insert a meat thermometer, if one is available, into the meat so the bulb reaches the centre of the thickest part. It should remain there during the entire roasting period. It will register the temperature of the meat on a scale plainly marked "rare" "medium" "well done" etc. This is the one sure method of telling exactly when a roast is done.

Miracle Roasting Method

This is beef cooked to PERFECTION, rare all the way through.

Roast beef in a very slow oven (200 F), allowing about 1 hour per pound.

Old Fashioned Searing Method- Some die-hards still insist this method gives a better flavour.

Sear the meat in a very hot oven (500 F.) for 20 to 30 minutes, or until it is well browned. Reduce the heat to a moderately slow (325 F.) oven for the remainder of the roasting time. In reckoning the time, include the time the meat is being seared. For a rare roast, allow approximately 16 to 18 minutes per pound; for medium allow 18 to 25 minutes per pound; for well-done allow 27 to 30 minutes per pound, but remember too much cooking (dry methods-baking, broiling, roasting) toughens meat and many an excellent cut is ruined in this manner.

Recipes:

Standing Rib Beef with Yorkshire pudding; now costly; but traditionally considered an inferior cut, the presentation can non-the –less be very impressive.          

Wipe meat with damp cloth but do not wash. Rub with salt in the proportion of 1 tsp. per pound of meat. Rub with pepper, onion, or garlic if desired. Place the meat, fat side up, on rack in roasting pan; if, meat has little, or no fat, place strips of bacon, salt pork or suet over it. This will baste the meat and no other basting is needed. Do not add water and do not cover the pan. If meat thermometer is to be used, insert into centre of thickest part of cut, being sure bulb of thermometer does not touch bone or fat. Roast at no more than 325F.for required length of time or until the thermometer registers the desired internal temperature. If a cut is not cut immediately upon removal from oven, it will continue to cook and the temperature at the centre will continue to rise. This may continue 30 to 45 minutes, in a large cut. Allow about 1/2 lb. per serving.

Yorkshire pudding

Ingredients:

1 cup flour  

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp. salt           

2 eggs

Drippings from roast beef

Method

Mix flour and salt. Combine milk and eggs, add to flour, and beat well until smooth. Pour hot drippings into a hot shallow pan or muffin tins to a depth of 1 inch. Pour in mixture quickly and bake in hot oven (400 F.) 1/2 hour. The pudding may then be placed under the rack holding the roast beef and left for 15 minutes to catch the juices from the roast, if a rack is not used, cut pudding into squares, or remove from muffin tins and arrange in pan around meat. Serve with the meat.

Fillet and Steaks

The fillet is the underside of the short loin of beef, the tenderloin.

The two following, traditional, recipes are not technically roasted, but are usually considered to be such.

Fillet of Beef Wellington

Remove the tail, trim a good-sized fillet of beef, and wipe the meat with a cloth dipped in brandy. Slice not quite through, into 6 equal parts, between each slice put thin slices of cooked ham spread with pate de foie gras(available at gourmet and speciality stores). Reshape the fillet and braise it in a moderate oven (350 F.) for about 12 minutes, or until it is half done, basting it frequently with 1/2 cup beef stock. Brush the tenderloin with melted meat glaze. Cool it slightly, spread the top thinly with pate de foie gras, and sprinkle with diced black truffles. Roll out puff paste to a thin sheet, cut out an oval slightly larger than the meat, and lay it on a roasting sheet. Brush the paste with dorure.

Lay the meat on the oval. Cover the beef with another oval of paste and fold the edges of the paste together. Cut the edges of the base to form a serrated edge. Decorate the top with strips of paste cut into floral shapes. Chill for 30 minutes. Return the pan to a moderately hot oven (375 F.) and bake the meat for 40 to 50 minutes, or until paste is golden brown. Shield the paste with foil if it browns too quickly.

Fillet of Beef Wellington-No.2

Trim a good-sized fillet of beef, smear it generously with butter, and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Put it in a shallow, flat, pan with scraps of celery, carrots, onion, and parsley, 1 bay leaf and a pinch of rosemary (mirepoix)and roast it in a very hot oven (450 F.) for about 25 minutes. Remove it and let it cool.

When the fillet is cold, spread it with a substantial layer of pate de foie gras, and wrap it in pie pastry, rolled about 1/8 inch thick. Trim the edges of the pastry moisten them with a little cold water and press firmly together. Bake the fillet on a baking sheet in a hot oven, again (450 F.) for about 15 minutes, or until the crust is delicately browned. For a shiny crust, brush the surface with beaten egg yolk before baking.

Add 1 cup veal stock, 1/4 cup pate de foie gras, and 1 large truffle, diced, to the roasting pan. Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes and serve it separately.

Fillet-and the Modern Conception

Chateaubriand-is really a recipe and not a cut of meat but traditionally it is the first cut from the thickest part of the tenderloin.

Fillet mignon-once considered to be the whole fillet, the present concept of fillet mignon, is really only a recipe as well. It is now considered to be the next cut down from the chateaubriand.

Medallions-make up the nest smaller cut

Tournedos- are the next cut and not quite as fine grained, often used in stroganoff, along with the tail trimmings

Planked Steak- easy to do and very eye appealing, this is the only method which really serves justice to the unrivalled quality of Canadian and especially Alberta beef 

We, as proud Canadians, producing the world’s best beef, should never, ever, settle for anything less.

Ingredients

1 steak, a minimum of 2 inches thick

            Butter

Duchess potatoes            

Minced parsley

Cooked vegetables

Salt

Paprika

Method

1. Trim the fat and make outline of steak even.

2. Broil

3. Oil a heated plank, place steak on plank, and arrange border of Duchess Potatoes around it.

4. Arrange other cooked vegetables, at least three, in contrasting colour, such as stuffed tomatoes or green peppers, small boiled onions, peas, string beans, cubes of carrot or turnip, cauliflower, around the steak, also so that the board is entirely concealed.

5. Place the plank in the oven until the potato border is browned and all the vegetables are heated through.

6. After removing it from the oven, finish steak (spread with butter and sprinkle with minced parsley, salt and paprika).

Serve on the plank serves 4 to 6.

Variation:

Chateaubriand-The story goes that back in the days of Napoleon, French Chef Montmirail created a special dish for French author and statesman, Francois Chateaubriand. He took a cut of beef from the largest part of the tenderloin, just down, or up; depending on which way you look at it; from what is now considered the fillet mignon, seasoned it with black pepper, grilled it, and then finished it with butter. This cut, now synonymous with the recipe. Like all really good steaks, (any steak worth eating) Chateaubriand is thick, large enough to serve at least two people

The meat is carved, at the table, into thin strips and served with Chateau and Béarnaise sauce. Traditionally, instead of Duchess Potatoes, hand carved, Chateau potatoes are served. Of course the beef tenderloin steak is one of the more expensive, less nutritive cuts; and lacking in flavour, but if you want to make a meal that is sure to impress, this is a good one to choose.

I include here a recipe for Chateaubriand that is slightly unusual in that it is served with Artichokes Béarnaise and does not include the traditional Chateau or even Duchess Potatoes (see recipe included under how to cook a really, really, good steak).

8 large artichokes

1)    2- 2 lbs. each-cuts from the large end of beef fillet

2)    Suitable variety of cooked vegetables

3)    With sharp knife, cut stem from artichoke and cut off two- thirds of tops, leaving 1- inch bottoms

4)    With scissors, trim thorny tips from leaves; brush cut edges with lemon juice to prevent discolouration. Pull loose leaves from around bottom.

5)    Cook bottoms; cool slightly; with spoon scoop out and discard fuzzy “chokes”. Return the artichokes to cooking liquid and keep them warm.

6)    Broil steaks to desired degree of doneness as described above.

7)    Prepare Béarnaise sauce.

8)    To serve: With slotted spoon, remove artichoke bottoms from cooking liquid; drain on paper towels; spoon some Béarnaise sauce into centre of each.

9)    Slice meat thickly. Arrange meat slices on plank, in centre of a large warm platter, and surround them with the stuffed artichokes inter-spaced with the other cooked vegetables.

Eating Artichokes: Pull out a leaf and dip base in Béarnaise sauce; pull through teeth, scraping out the pulp. Discard leaves on plate.

Traditional Fillet Mignon

Ingredients:

3 lbs. beef fillet

Butter

Salt pork      

Salt and pepper

Flour

Method:

1. Remove any skin, fat, and ligaments, with a sharp knife.

2. Lard the upper surface with strips of fat salt pork and rub the entire surface with soft butter.

3. Dredge well with salt, pepper, and flour, and place the fillet, without water, in a small shallow pan.

4. Bake in a slow oven (300 F.) Or cut tenderloin into thick steaks and broil. Serves: 8.

Broiled Steak

Ingredients:

1 sirloin, short loin, or fillet steak

            Salt and pepper

2 Tbsps. butter

Method: Select a steak at least 2 inches thick. Heat broiler for 10 minutes with regulator set at 550 F. Arrange steak on a rack. Place the rack 4 inches under heat. For rare steak broil 7 to 8 minutes, season with salt and pepper, turn and broil on the other side for the same length of time. Remove to a hot platter. Place butter on top of steak to finish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve at once. Allow 1/2 pound per person

Other steaks may be broiled in the same way.

Pan Broiled Steak-The preferred method for a good steak

Ingredients

1 Porterhouse, T-bone, club steak, or other, from the short loin

            Butter          

Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Heat a heavy skillet until sizzling hot. Place the meat in a hot pan and brown well on both sides.

2. Reduce the temperature and cook until the desired degree of doneness, turning from time to time, being careful not to pierce meat. Pour off fat as it accumulates in the pan.

3. Place meat on a hot platter, “finish” with butter and season with salt and pepper. Allow 1/2 lb. per person.

Variations

With Mushrooms

Use mushroom caps, whole or sliced. Sauté, slowly, in hot butter 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Allow 2 Tbsps. butter for 1/2 lb. mushrooms.

With Onions

Slice onions into water and drain. Place in shallow pan, cover closely, and cook over a slow heat 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender. Pan-broil the steak; brown onions in pan in which the steak was cooked and serve with steak.

With Oysters

1 Tbsp. flour                       

3 Tbsps. butter

1 qt. oysters

Rub flour and fat together. Heat the oysters, to boiling point, in a little of their own liquid. Remove any foam and stir in flour mixture to form a Veloute sauce. Boil 1 minute, pour over steak, and serve at once. Additional sauce may be served on side.