To Roast Beef
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Prepare the fire at least 30 minutes before roasting, ensuring it has plenty of hot coals.
Wash the beef in cold water, wipe it dry, and rub it with coarse sea salt.
Place the beef in a roaster, avoiding running the spit through the best parts.
Add beef dripping or lard to the bottom of the roaster and melt it.
Roast
Baste the beef frequently with the melted fat using a long spoon.
Turn the spit often for even cooking.
Clear away ashes and add fresh fuel as needed.
Roast for about 20 minutes per pound, adjusting for personal preference and season.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Beef
- Is the main cut being cooked, so its size and doneness set the roasting time.
- Beef dripping or lard
- Fat that bastes the meat, carrying heat and adding moisture and rich flavor to the surface.
The step that matters
Turn the spit often for even cooking. Meat nearer the coals cooks faster than the rest. Frequent turning spreads heat evenly so the roast browns without overcooking on one side.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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