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11/14/11

Sunday Dinner: Classic Roast Beef with a Pear Galette


When we started planning for this week's Sunday Dinner, Jake had his mind set on a roast beef. Though we love beef, we don't cook it all that often. But if you're going to do it, what's better than a simply classic roast beef? The problem is, most roast beef recipes call for higher end cuts - tenderloin, standing rib, strip loin - that are, unfortunately, not in the budget. 

This gave Jake an excuse to post a great recipe for a sadly undervalued cut of beef: the sirloin tip or silver tip. It's a wonderfully economical cut of meat that has great beefy flavor because it comes from the round (the hind leg). But, as it's literally the the tip of the sirloin muscle, it's still quite tender. And it's the perfect size for entertaining. A whole roast can feed up to eight people, and a half is perfect for 4. Treat a sirloin tip roast as you would a tenderloin and what you'll get is something a little tougher, but with way more flavor at 1/3 of the cost. 

We were out of town on Saturday and missed the Union Square market. Back in the city on Sunday, we walked over to the Chelsea Market to pick up a sirloin tip roast at Dickson’s, a superb butcher shop that sells all local pasture-raised meat as well as a fantastic selection of charcuterie. We already had a bunch of fall vegetables to roast with the sirloin tip, including some stunning purple and white carrots and the last of the seasons rainbow chard from Windfall Farm. When we got home, we realized we had some beautiful Barlett and Bosc pears from Migliorelli waiting on the counter - perfect for an impromptu galette. 

Classic Roast Beef with Gravy

+ 1/2 Sirloin Tip Roast, about 2 lbs, tied
+ coarse salt
+ ½ lb leeks or onions cut into big chunks
+ 2 garlic cloves, crushed
+ 2 carrots cut into big chunks
+ 1 cup of dry white wine - we used a white Bordeaux
+ 3 tablespoons of drippings or oil

1. Take the meat out of the fridge an hour or two before cooking so that it can come to room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 450.
3. Pat the roast dry and cover heavily with salt.
4. Place a large cast iron skillet over high heat. When it starts to smoke, brown the roast on all sides, a few minutes each side. When browned, add vegetables and the drippings to the pan.
5. Put the pan in the oven until it reaches 120 degrees at the center of roast (about 45 minutes).
6. Take the roast and veggies out of the skillet and let sit for 15 minutes. Meanwhile put the skillet with, all of the roast's drippings, on the stove over medium-high heat. Pour in wine and simmer to reduce. You can whisk in a little butter or flour for desired thickness/creaminess.
7. Eat! Serves 4.


Pear Galette
Adapted from Martha Stewart

+ 1/2 recipe of your favorite Pate Brisee - we used Nick Malgeri's recipe, used here in our Apple Pie
+ 1 tablespoon cornstarch or flour
+ 1/4 cup granulated sugar plus a little extra for sprinkling
+ Pinch of salt
+ 4 large ripe pears, cut into 1/2-inch slices (about 3 1/2 pounds) - we used a combination of Barlett and Bosc
+ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
+ 1 large egg
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
2. Sprinkle work surface with a little flour. Roll out dough to a 14-inch round, about 1/4-inch thick. Transfer dough to prepared baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 hour.
3. In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch, sugar and salt. In a large bowl gently toss together pears and cornstarch mixture until evenly coated. Mound pear mixture on top of dough, leaving a 4-inch border all the way around. Fold dough over pear mixture, overlapping where necessary and gently pressing to adhere the folds. Transfer galette to refrigerator and let chill, 20 to 30 minutes
4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, beat egg. Brush edges of dough with egg, and sprinkle edges with sugar. Dot top of galette with butter. Transfer to oven and bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour.
5. Let cool briefly before serving warm or at room temperature.

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