ROAST BEEF DINNER

By Lutie

When I was growing up, Sunday dinners were always a little special. Attendance was mandatory. Mom didn’t really cook on Saturday (her only day off cooking a full meal), so Sunday at 1 or 2:00p.m. we ate dinner. Since we didn’t have a lot of money, roasts were certainly not Chateaubriand - in fact, I didn’t taste filet mignon until I was well into my twenties. Mom’s roast beef with gravy however, was one of Anthony’s most requested meals. Doesn’t have to be expensive to be good. The roast beef dinner was ALWAYS accompanied by mashed potatoes, and sliced, cooked carrots.

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 Lb. top of the round, or bottom round roast of beef
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Salt
• 1/4 small onion, cut into 1” pieces

Preparation

Step 1

Salt, pepper and garlic salt all side of roast. Place fat side up in covered roasting pan. Add water in bottom of pan to equal 1-1 ½ “. Sprinkle onion around roast and add a little salt to the water. Bake covered at 350 degrees for about an hour. Turn roast over, add more water to keep level up to 1 ½ “ and continue cooking. Turn again in an hour, adding water as necessary. Three hours should yield a nice tender roast - some stubborn ones will require longer. When a fork goes in fairly easily, it’s done.

Remove roast to serving platter. Pour beef juices in saucepan and bring to simmer. Add Wondra while whisking constantly, until gravy is thickened. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning.

THE CARROTS: I buy the organic carrots with the tops still on - they taste so much better. Peel and slice on the bias. Cook in a minimal amount of water until almost tender. Discard water or let cook down until water has evaporated. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add a tablespoon or so of butter and let the carrots sauté gently in the butter until tender.