Roast Beef and Gravy

With the weather cooling down it was time for a roast.  We really enjoy a traditional Sunday roast but as we have dodgeball now we did it on a Saturday.  Because of the components to the roast I will do it in a few posts, otherwise this would be a very long post!

So off I went to the grocery store to get the roast beef.  They didn’t have any all natural roast beef out but fortunately the butcher was there and he said he could get me a nice cut.  He even did two so I could choose.  I chose the less expensive one.  🙂  Only needed a few pounds for our little family!

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

When I do a roast I make sure there is liquid in with the roast.  One, so the meat doesn’t dry out, and two so I have some nice fixings for the gravy.  To start I slice up a little bit of onion and garlic and put it in the base of the broiler pan.  I add rosemary and thyme.

Next I add water to nearly cover the veg and add about 1/2 cup of marsala wine and 1/4 cup of dry sherry.

I add the broiler tray on top of this and place the meat in the center.  Add salt and pepper and some olive oil to the meat.

Pop into the oven.  Some recipe books say about 20 minutes per pound.  Ours was 2.27lbs and to get it to about 130 F for rare we had it in there for an hour and 15 minutes.  So check the temp at about an hour to gauge where you are for the doneness you want.  Once done remove, cover with tin foil and let rest.  Resting is very important before you cut the meat.  It allows the juices to reabsorb into the meat.

Next, on to the gravy!  Pour the drippings into a pot on the stove.

Start the gravy simmering.  To thicken add flour or cornstarch which has been dissolved in water to the mixture.  Bring to a boil.  I ended up making this gravy a little too thick as I’m used to making a large batch of gravy for the holidays.  I got a little carried away!

Add salt and pepper to taste and I like to add gravy master to this.  It gives it a lovely colour and some seasoning to it.  Let it boil a minute or so then simmer.

Slice the roast beef to serve.  As it was just the four of us I put the gravy on as I was dishing out the food.  If it is a large group then I use a gravy boat for the table.

All that is left is to sit down and enjoy.  Prep time for this was about 5 minutes or so and to do up the gravy took less than 10 minutes.  It’s an easy meal with great results.

 

21 thoughts on “Roast Beef and Gravy

  1. What’s better than been taught how to make a proper roast beef by an English? Honestly, in my opinion, only the English can do roast beef properly. I still haven’t grasped the concept and still overcook it and make it quite dry… is it because I didn’t grow up with it? My English husband does it much better!
    That’s why I will bookmark and follow your instructions step by step. Thank you for this tips, very handy for me!
    PS: I did not realize you are not living in England! That’s why I mentioned Morrisons supermarket. Ops! 🙂

  2. One of my favourite comfort foods! I even love left overs and often sneak in a slice or two from the fridge at night…yes, like Nigella minus the glamour! And I love extra gravy for chips the next day. Your pictures are making me so hungry!

      • It’s a recipe from pinterest. Add roast, carrots, potatoes and onion to a crock pot. Take 1 pkg. brown gravy, I pkg. Italian dressing and 1 pkg. ranch dressing and mix together with 1/2 c. water. Pour over roast. Cook on low 8 hours or so. I guess basically I had my own gravy 🙂 So simple but, good. I just found the recipe a month or so ago and have made it twice so far 🙂

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