Cajun Pot Roast

3 pound beef bottom round roast
1 tablespoon salad oil
2 large stalks celery
2 medium onions
1 medium green pepper
16 ounce can tomatoes
2 10 ounce packages frozen whole baby okra
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, minced

Seasoning Mix:
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Prepare seasoning mix; rub 2 1/2 teaspoons of seasoning mix over meat. Brown in hot oil in Dutch oven. Remove to plate. Cut onions into wedges. Slice celery diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces and cut green peppers into 1 inch pieces.

Cook, covered in drippings till tender. Stir in tomatoes, with their liquid, bay leaf, garlic and remaining seasoning mix. Return roast to pan and heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until roast is fork tender, stirring occasionally.

About 10 minutes before roast is done, add frozen okra to mixture in Dutch oven; heat through. To serve, arrange meat and vegetables on warm, deep platter; discard bay leaf. Skim fat from liquid. Serve liquid with meat and vegetables.

Makes 12 servings.

Classic Beef Rib Roast

6 to 8 pound well trimmed beef rib roast
Seasoning:
6 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Heat oven to 350F. Combine seasoning ingredients. Press evenly into surface of beef roast.

Roast in oven approximately 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours for medium rare; 2 3/4 to 3 hours for medium.

Remove roast when thermometer registers 135 degrees for medium rare, 150 degrees for medium. Tent and let stand for 15 minutes.

Makes 8 to 12 servings.

Herbed Beef Ribeye Roast

4 pound beef ribeye roast
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon salt

Sauce:
1 12 ounce jar brown beef gravy
1/4 cup currant jelly
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard, dissolved in 1 teaspoon water

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine garlic, salt, pepper and rosemary; press into surface of beef roast. Place roast on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer until bulb is centered in thickest part. Do not add water or cover.

Roast 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours for medium rare to medium. Remove roast when meat thermometer registers 140 degrees for medium rare, 155 degrees for medium. Let roast stand 20 minutes.

Temperature will continue to rise about 5 degrees; 145 degrees for medium rare, 160 degrees for medium. In small saucepan, combine sauce ingredients. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until bubbly, stirring occasionally. Carve roast into slices; serve with sauce. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
 

Herb Roast Beef

2 - 3 pound round rump roast or tenderloin

1 Tbsp. fresh ground pepper

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried marjoram

1 tsp. dried thyme

3 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped

1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon, chopped

Combine spices and mix well. Cover roast beef with spices and cook at 325 degrees for 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours depending on the size and the desired doneness. If you are using a meat thermometer it should reach 150 - 170 degrees. Let roast stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Cut into thin slices.

Herbed Mushroom Pot Roast

3 tbsp. flour

1 3 to 4-pound pot roast, such as beef chuck arm or blade roast

2 tbsp. cooking oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 medium onion, sliced

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup dry sherry

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 tsp. dried marjoram, crushed

1/4 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

1/4 tsp. dried thyme, crushed

1 small bay leaf

1 can (6 ounces) whole mushrooms

1/4 cup cold water

2 tbsp. cornstarch

1. Sprinkle flour over both sides of the roast.

2. In a Dutch oven, heat the cooking oil. Brown the roast slowly on all asides. Season with salt and pepper. Add the onion slices.

3. In a large bowl, stir together the 1/2 cup water, sherry, ketchup, and herbs. Carefully add the mixture to the Dutch oven. Cover and cook over low heat for 2 to 2½ hours or until the meat is tender.

4. Add the undrained mushrooms; heat through.

5. Transfer the meat to a serving platter. Remove the bay leaf from the cooking liquid and discard.

6. Stir together the 1/4 cup cold water and cornstarch. Add to the cooking liquid. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Serve with the meat.

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Mediterranean Pot Roast

1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 lb. chuck roast, well trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil (or other vegetable oil)
2 medium onions
4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed through a press
2 cans (16 oz each) crushed tomatoes
2 cups red wine
1 1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
1 3/4 lb. small red potatoes
2 medium red bell peppers
1 large zucchini
1/2 lb. small mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped parsley (optional)

1. On a plate, combine the flour, salt and black pepper. Lightly dredge the roast in the seasoned flour. Reserve the excess dredging mixutre.

2. In a flameproof casserole or Dutch oven, warm 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the roast and cook unitl browned on all sides (about 10 minutes).

3. Meanwhile, very coarsely chop the onions.

4. Remove the roast from the pan. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the onions and garlic. Saute until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes.

5. Add the reserved dredging mixture to the pan and stir until the fat absorbs the flour. Add the tomatoes, wine, thyme and bay leaf, and bring the mixture to a boil. Return the roast to the casserole and bring the liquied to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 2 hours, turning the roast from time to time.

6. Meanwhile, halve the potatoes. Cut the bell peppers into strips. Halve the zucchini lengthwise and cut it into 1" lengths.

7. When the roast has cooked for 2 hours, add the potatoes , bell peppers and whole mushrooms to the casserole. Re-cover and cook for 30 minutes.

8. Add the zucchini and cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the parsley (if using) just before serving.

Rib Roast with Roasted Garlic Thyme Sauce

7- to 8-pound trimmed prime beef rib roast* (sometimes called standing rib roast; 3 or 4 ribs)
1 T. vegetable oil
2 heads garlic
3 T. chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup minced shallot
2 T. red-wine vinegar (use balsamic vinegar for more flavor)
1-1/2 cups dry red wine
1 bay leaf
4 cups beef broth (may want to reduce to 2 cups)
1-1/2 T. unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 T. all-purpose flour if using beef broth

Preheat oven to 475°F

Put roast, ribs side down, in center of a 13x9" flameproof roasting pan and rub all over with 1/2 TBS oil.

Cut about 1/2" from tops of garlic heads to expose cloves and discard tops. Rub beef all over with cut sides of garlic and sprinkle with 2 TBS thyme, pressing to adhere. Season beef generously with salt and pepper.

Put garlic heads on a double layer of foil and drizzle with remaining 1/2 TBS oil. Wrap garlic tightly in foil.

Roast beef in middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove beef from oven and with a bulb baster skim all but about 1/2 cup fat from pan. Baste beef with fat remaining in pan.

Reduce temperature to 375°F.

Add garlic to oven. Roast beef, with garlic, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours more, or until a meat thermometer inserted into center of meat registers 115°F. (Some recommend cooking to 120°F for medium rare)

Transfer garlic in foil to a rack and transfer beef to a platter, reserving pan juices. Let beef stand 25 minutes. (Meat will continue to cook, reaching about 130°F for medium-rare.)

While beef is standing, remove all but about 2 TBS fat from pan. Add shallot to pan and on top of stove cook over moderate heat, stirring, 2 minutes. Unwrap garlic. Protecting your hand with a doubled paper towel, squeeze roasted garlic into shallot mixture and discard skins. Add vinegar, wine, bay leaf, and remaining TBS thyme and boil mixture, scraping up brown bits and mashing garlic with a wooden spatula against bottom of pan, until reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes.

In a small bowl mash together butter and flour to make a beurre manié . Stir beef broth into garlic mixture and boil sauce until reduced to about 2 cups. Whisk beurre manié into broth mixture and cook over moderate heat, whisking, until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Pour sauce through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Cut rib roast into slices and serve with sauce.

Serves 8.

Roast Beef

4 to 6 pound rump, sirloin or eye of the round
2 dozen olives with pimentos
1 small can sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, minced
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Stab small slots in roast about every inch and insert the olives, mushrooms and minced onion into the beef.

Combine the remaining ingredients and marinate the meat in a bowl covered for 12 to 18 hours.

Then place the meat on a rack in a roaster pan and pour the marinade over the roast.

Cover and steam/bake the roast in a 350 degree preheated oven for 4 to 6 hours. Cook slow and baste at least once an hour.

Serves 6 to 8.

Shanghai Pot Roast

4 pounds chuck roast -- boneless
1 tablespoon sherry
1/2 cup regular soy sauce
1 cup water
2 slices ginger
2 cloves garlic -- optional
1 ounce sugar
2 star anise stars -- optional

Either brown the roast in a little fat or dunk it in boiling water for a minute or so. Put it into a heavy kettle into which it fits fairly snugly.

Add all the rest of the ingredients (ginger slices, star anise, and garlic should be at the bottom of the pot).

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered, turning and basting occasionally, for 3 hours or until tender.

Serve sliced, hot or cold. If cold, you may want to weight it down with a brick covered in foil or some similarly heavy item while chilling it in the fridge.

You may cook lamb or pork this way, but cut the cooking time to 2 - 2 1/2 hr.

For lamb add a cinnamon stick instead of the star anise; for pork double the soy sauce and sherry, either halve or omit the star anise, and use up to 4 oz of sugar to taste.

Serving Size : 12

Standing Rib Roast & Three Potato Bake

Cook time: 2 hours

Makes: 10 to 12 servings

1 Reynolds Oven Bag, large size (14 x 20 inches)

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules

1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

2 large cloves garlic, minced

5 to 6 pounds bone-in beef rib roast

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, halved

2 small russet potatoes, peeled, halved

2 small Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, halved

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Shake flour in oven bag; place in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Combine beef bouillon granules, rosemary, lemon pepper and garlic; rub onto surface of roast.

Add roast, fat side up, to oven bag. Arrange potatoes around roast in an even layer in oven bag.

Close bag with nylon tie; cut six 1/2-inch slits in top.

Bake 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until meat thermometer reads 145 degrees. Remove potatoes from oven bag; place in serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Skim fat from sauce; season sauce with salt and pepper. Serve roast with vegetables and sauce.

Nutritional information per 3-ounce serving of cooked beef: 856 calories, 55 grams protein, 13 grams carbohydrate, 64 grams fat (68 percent total calories), 187 milligrams cholesterol, 480 milligrams sodium.