A Traditional Overnight Roast, Farm Style

This dish hails from Foxhollow Farm’s Maggie Keith.  It is one of those fantastically flexible recipes which translates more as a concept rather than a strict, by the book process.  The main ingredient is slow, slow cooking.

I tucked my roast into the oven just before tucking myself in to bed on a recent evening, cloaking the sirloin in a blend of kosher salt, cayenne, ground mustard, red pepper flakes, paprika and garlic.  A gentle but lasting sear on all sides followed and the roast was joined by a multitude of aromatics and then covered with beef broth and red wine.

Seven hours later I woke to the soft and luring scent of comfort food, the roast tender and rich, the broth reduced and deeply flavored.  Served shredded over rice or pilled high on a crusty Blue Dog baguette, this roast lends itself to a variety of toppings and pairings, making quick friends with quinoa, pasta and potatoes alike.  The recipe is almost too simple to call a recipe and I feel a tinge of guilt writing it down.

A little of this, a little of that… it doesn’t take much when you are working with an ingredient of this quality and the classic cooking method of low and slow.  So sleep tight tonight.  Dinner will be ready in the morning.

This roast needs just a little love prior to it’s low and slow meeting with the oven.  I gave it a nice crust by rubbing a blend of spices on all sides of the roast.  To begin, combine the following in a small bowl: two tsp kosher salt, one half tsp red pepper flakes, one half tsp cayenne, one tsp mustard powder, two tsp paprika, two tsp granulated garlic and one half tsp freshly ground black pepper.  Pat the roast dry and rub the spice blend over all sides of the beef.

Warm a heavy-bottom pot (a dutch oven is ideal) over medium heat and add one tbs olive oil and one tbs unsalted butter.  Brown the roast on both sides for four minutes, creating a nice sear.  Next, add the aromatics – one onion, quartered, six cloves garlic, sliced in half, two large carrots, sliced in half, six sprigs of fresh thyme, three sprigs of fresh rosemary and one tsp of whole peppercorns.

Add one bottle of red wine (nothing expensive but something you like to drink – I used a bottle of 2011 Gabbiano Chianti) and four cups of unsalted beef broth.  Not a wine lover?  No worries.  The objective is to cover the roast entirely with liquid.  So double the broth, add juice, even a little water is ok (just not too much as you don’t want to dilute the flavor), just make sure the beef is covered.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and cook the roast for seven hours (my oven had an automatic cooking timer – who knew!).  Remove from the oven and transfer the roast to large dish.  Using two forks, pull the beef apart, shredding it into bite-sized pieces and set aside.  Make sure to taste as you go… :)

Turning back to the sauce, strain into a large bowl through a sieve, catching the onion, carrot, garlic and herbs.  Move the sauce back to the pot and bring to a boil, reducing at this heat for thirty minutes.  Add one tsp kosher salt along the way.

Once reduced, lower the heat and add four tbs of cold, unsalted butter, whisking to combine until glossy and smooth.  Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper, if necessary.

Pour the sauce over the shredded beef and serve warm.  In the cover shot I have layered the beef over rice tossed with parsley and topped with pickled onions (I love the kick of vinegar these offer).  Use your imagination and let me know what you come up with – I am sure it will be delicious!

Serves Six to Eight

• one beef sirloin tip roast – two and one half to three pounds
• two tsp kosher salt
• one half tsp red pepper flakes
• one half tsp cayenne
• one tsp mustard powder
• two tsp paprika
• two tsp granulated garlic
• one half tsp freshly ground black pepper
• one tbs olive oil
• one tbs unsalted butter
• one onion, quartered
• six cloves garlic, sliced in half
• two large carrots, sliced in half
• six sprigs of fresh thyme
• three sprigs of fresh rosemary
• one tsp whole peppercorns
• one bottle red wine
• four cups unsalted beef broth
• one tsp kosher salt
• four tbs cold, unsalted butter

To begin, combine the kosher salt, red pepper flakes, cayenne, mustard powder, paprika, granulated garlic and black pepper together in a small bowl.  Pat the roast dry and rub the spice blend over all sides of the beef.
Warm a heavy-bottom pot (a dutch oven is ideal) over medium heat and add one tbs olive oil and one tbs unsalted butter.  Brown the roast on both sides for four minutes, creating a nice sear.  Next, add the onion, garlic cloves, carrots, thyme, rosemary and whole peppercorns to the pot.
Add one bottle of red wine (nothing expensive but something you like to drink – I used a bottle of 2011 Gabbiano Chianti) and four cups of unsalted beef broth.  Not a wine lover?  No worries.  The objective is to cover the roast entirely with liquid.  So double the broth, add juice, even a little water is ok (just not too much as you don’t want to dilute the flavor), just make sure the beef is covered.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and cook the roast for seven hours.  Remove from the oven and transfer the roast to large dish.  Using two forks, pull the beef apart, shredding it into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
Turning back to the sauce, strain into a large bowl through a sieve, catching the onion, carrot, garlic and herbs.  Move the sauce back to the pot and bring to a boil, reducing at this heat for thirty minutes.  Add one tsp kosher salt along the way.  Once reduced, lower the heat and add four tbs of cold, unsalted butter, whisking to combine until glossy and smooth.  Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
Pour the sauce over the shredded beef and serve warm.  In the cover shot I have layered the beef over rice tossed with parsley and topped with pickled onions (I love the kick of vinegar these offer).  Use your imagination and let me know what you come up with – I am sure it will be delicious!