Having mastered how to roast turkey and rack of lamb, I thought I’d now try roasting a whole rib eye of beef.
Because this is a rather expensive cut of beef, I was quite apprehensive about roasting it. Just handling such a heavy roll of beef (2.2 kilograms) was daunting enough. Moreover, if I bungled the job, I’d be wasting a lot of money. Even worse, we wouldn’t have any dinner that evening.
To be on the right track, I researched a few days before I was to roast the beef. However, my research yielded various methods, some of which were contradictory.
Recommended roasting temperatures, for instance, ranged from 325ºF to 425ºF. Some swore by searing the meat before roasting it, while others said searing should be done only after the meat has roasted.
All these contradictory techniques filled me with uncertainties. I would have given up, except that, I figured, these uncertainties weren’t going to get dinner on the table.
So from all the various recipes I unearthed, I culled my own recipe, based on my own experience in the kitchen—not that this gave me a lot of confidence.
For more than an hour, as I waited for the kitchen timer to ring, I was filled with anxiety and dread, wondering how this would turn out.
Luckily the roast beef turned out with the exact doneness for medium rare (125ºF). I got dinner on the table on time and was even able to make the gravy and a side dish of roasted potatoes. But the tension and anxiety wore me out for a while.
Here’s my recipe for roast rib eye of beef.
Roast Beef
1 whole rib-eye roast, about 2.2 kg
Salt
Pepper
1 onion, sliced vertically
1 carrot, sliced into rounds
5 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
For the gravy:
2 c beef stock
¼ c butter
¼ c flour
If the rib eye has not been tied, use kitchen twine to tie it at about 2-inch intervals. Wash the rib-eye roast and pat dry with paper towels. Score the top of the rib eye by making shallow cuts on its surface in a diamond pattern. Season all sides well with salt. Set aside and let rest for at least two hours and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Before roasting: Remove the roast from the refrigerator and let it stand at room temperature for one hour. The beef should not be cooked while it’s still cold; it should be at room temperature. Season the beef with pepper.
When ready to roast: Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Spray the bottom of a roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray, or brush it lightly with cooking oil. Scatter the onions, carrots and garlic inside the pan.
Put a rack on the roasting pan and arrange the beef, fat side up, on the rack. Put the pan in the preheated oven and let the beef roast for one hour and 15 minutes (this is for a 2.2-kg beef roast).
Check for doneness by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. For medium rare, the thermometer should read 125ºF (51.6ºC). It’s not advisable to roast the beef too long or it will become dry. (If the thermometer still hasn’t reached 125ºF or 51.6ºC, return the beef to the oven for a few more minutes.)
Take the beef out of the oven and transfer the beef to a cutting board. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 30 minutes to one hour. Just before serving, heat the two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Sear the beef on all sides in the hot oil. Remove from the skillet and transfer to a cutting board. Carve into slices about one-half-inch thick. Serve with the gravy.
Make the gravy: While letting the beef rest, scrape the bottom of the roasting pan with a wooden spoon to release the flavors in the drippings of the roasted beef. Pour in the beef stock and stir well, pressing on the onions, carrots and garlic to extract their flavors. Boil gently for one to two minutes then strain the liquid into a large bowl. Discard the onions, carrots and garlic.
In a saucepan, heat the butter until it melts, then add the flour little by little, stirring well after each addition so the flour becomes fully incorporated into the butter.
Slowly pour in the beef stock mixture, stirring well so there will be no lumps. Simmer the liquid for one to two minutes. Pour into a gravy boat and serve hot with the roast beef.
Cook’s tips:
• For those who want medium doneness, heat the sliced beef in a nonstick pan for several seconds.
• For best results, use a heavy stainless-steel roasting pan with a rack (preferably a V rack).
• To take the guesswork out of deciding whether the beef is properly cooked or not, use an instant-read meat thermometer. Be sure to insert the thermometer in the thickest part of the beef.
• You can also use sirloin or tenderloin for roasting.
• Suggested side dishes: rice, roasted or mashed potatoes, buttered corn. INQ