Main Course

One of my favorite dinners has always been roast beef–cooked for several hours along with a vegetable accompaniment. Nothing beats the flavors of tender, juicy beef and moist, melt-in-your-mouth potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, and thyme. In fact, in no time this will be your favorite holiday meal–or heck your favorite anytime meal–all year long. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

The trick to the perfect beef roast (or any roast to that matter) is searing the meat before roasting it in the oven. By browning the outside of your roast beforehand, you’ll capture most of the meat juices and help them stay inside creating a tender end product. You also need to choose a quality beef, but if you don’t have the extra cash, just go with a tender chuck roast. Any roast will do in this recipe.

It also helps to use the right type of roasting pan when cooking this bad boy up. I highly recommend a ceramic or dutch oven type roasting dish with a heavy lid. You can use whatever roasting pan you have on hand. For parties, church potlucks, and other venues where you’ll be cooking the roast at your home and then taking it elsewhere, use one of those heavy foil throw-away roasting dishes–just make sure to cover the top while cooking tightly with foil. You can alternatively use a crockpot–just place on low and cook for 8 hours. For searing the meat before roasting, just use a stainless steel skillet or whatever you already have in your cupboard.

Now to make your tastebuds tingle and your mouth water. (PS: This recipe is my own recipe…I didn’t even try the Texas Beef Council’s Classic Prime Rib Roast but you can.)

Roast Beef with Vegetables

2 T olive oil
1 4-6 pound beef roast (I use tender chuck roast)
Lawry’s garlic salt, to taste
Course ground black pepper, to taste
1 T dried thyme
6 small potatoes, quartered
1 medium onion, cut into eighths
2 large carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 large stalks of celery, with leaves, cut into 2-3 inch pieces
1 large garlic bulb, cut in half through the width, flaky outer layers removed.
2 cups water

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat, until olive oil thins and just begins to smoke. Meanwhile, season beef roast with garlic salt, pepper, and thyme. Pat with clean hands into roast. Once olive oil begins to lightly smoke, place roast into pan and simmer for about 4 minutes on each side, or until sides brown. Turn only once. Remove from heat and reserve pan drippings.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Place browned roast in roasting pan. Top with pan drippings. Add vegetables, including onion and garlic bulb. Sprinkle with additional pepper, if desired. Add water. Cover tightly. Place in oven and bake for at least four hours or until roast is tender and falls apart with a fork.

Serves 6 generous portions. Serve with a fresh salad, dinner rolls, and pecan pie.

Want more recipes?

Here’s some other Texan bloggers who have been working hard on cooking this week with beef:  Amy from Mom’s Toolbox, Arena from The Nerd’s Wife,  Brenda from Meal Planning Magic, Christina from A Closet Writer, Crystal from Crystal and Company, Jessica from My Baking Heart,  Lori from A Day in the Motherhood,  and Trista from Mommy Upgrade. Check them out!

Disclosure: I am participating in a four week campaign promoting Texas beef and am being compensated for my efforts. All opinions are my own. Recipes are courtesy the Texas Beef Council, except this one.

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