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Roast Beef

Roast beef short ribs are seared and roasted in a 400°F oven for about 15 minutes per inch of thickness.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
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Roast Beef

Roast Beef

Oven, in the book's wordsA hot oven

Ingredients

Directions

The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.

Prepare and sear

  1. Remove the bones from the rib pieces to be braised as short ribs.

  2. Place the cut surface of the roast on a smoking hot griddle and press down; sear for 2-3 minutes until nicely browned.

  3. Turn the roast and sear the other side.

Roast

  1. Set the roast on a rack in a dripping pan, resting on the edges of the ribs.

  2. Place in a 400°F (200°C) oven without seasoning or adding water.

  3. Roast for 15 minutes per inch of thickness; a 4-inch thick roast will cook rare in 1 hour.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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

Prime rib of beef
Provides the meat, and its fat renders during roasting to add moisture and flavor.

The step that matters

Searing on a smoking hot griddle. Browning comes from the Maillard reaction, which needs a dry surface and high heat. Pressing the cut face down for a full 2-3 minutes gives even color and a flavorful crust before the slow roast.

“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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