Roast Beef with Potatoes and Shallots
Since I had never made roast beef before I relied on some of my ladies – Martha and my Mom – for help. The basic recipe comes from my Mom, who makes a delicious roast beef, and the idea for the potatoes and shallots comes from Martha Stewart. It is definitely a weekend meal, since there is an extra step – I parboiled the potatoes – so it takes a bit longer to prepare than my usual recipes, but it is totally doable on a Saturday or Sunday night.
red or Yukon gold potatoes – 1 lb., peeled and cut into quarters
shallots – 8, peeled, trimmed and halved
eye of round roast beef – 1 1/2 lb.
olive oil – 2 TB.
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a medium-to-large saucepan add the potatoes and pour enough water over them to cover them by about an inch. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Once they boil, turn down the heat and let the potatoes simmer until a knife can slightly slip into them. Drain and set aside.
Toss parboiled potatoes and shallots in a baking pan with olive oil and salt and pepper. Push the vegetables to the side and add the roast beef. Turn the roast so that all sides are covered in the oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes at 425 degrees and then turn the heat down to 325 degrees for another 25-30 minutes, depending on how you like your meat (25 min. for medium-rare, 30 min. for medium). Remove the roast from the oven and let it sit for another 10-15 minutes with foil lightly covering it on a cutting board. While the roast is resting you can throw your vegetables back in the oven to brown a bit more, or at least stay warm.
Carve the roast beef and serve with vegetables.
Steamed Green Beans
1 lb. green beans, trimmed and halved if very long
1 Tb. butter
salt and pepper
Over medium-high heat, place beans in a steamer basket set in a pot with enough water to almost touch the beans, cover. It should take between 5-10 minutes for the water to come to a boil and steam the green beans until they are tender, but keep an eye on them so they don’t overcook and become limp. Remove from basket and toss with butter, salt and pepper.
