Roast Beef
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a very hot oven”. The 400°F in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the roast
Have the butcher remove the bones from the rib roast.
Roll the meat into a round shape and tie the roast securely with stout string.
Insert 1 or 2 steel skewers.
Season the meat with coarse sea salt.
Roast
Place the roast on a grating in a dripping pan.
Put it in a very hot oven (400°F / 200°C).
Baste frequently.
If the meat is very fat, no water is needed in the pan.
If the meat is not very fat, pour a small cup of boiling water into the pan after it has been in the oven for 15 minutes.
Serve
Remove the string before serving.
Make a brown gravy.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Rib roast
- Provides the main meat, whose fat content determines whether extra water is needed in the pan.
- Coarse sea salt
- Seasons the outside of the meat and helps form a flavorful crust.
- Boiling water
- Adds moisture to the pan of a lean roast, reducing drying and scorching of the drippings.
The step that matters
Judging the water addition. Whether to add boiling water depends on the fat content of the meat. A lean roast needs moisture in the pan to keep the drippings from scorching, while a fatty roast already releases enough fat to protect them.
“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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