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Roast beef is a large piece of beef meat cooked without pre-slicing. Unlike a steak, the thickness of roast beef is much larger, which complicates the cooking technology. Professional chefs believe that not everyone can cook such a dish.
Who started cooking first?
Roast beef is an exclusively English dish. The first mention of this dish we can find in the notes of the 16th century. By the standards of cooking, this dish is relatively new.
Britain has long been famous for the quality of beef meat and the recipes they came up with to present their products in the best light. It was long and unprofitable for farmers to cook small steaks for a large family, it was much easier to bake a large piece of beef.
At that time, roast beef was a beef tenderloin that farmers cooked on the grill or in a stone oven. The main essence of cooking is to allow the meat to soak its juice under the influence of high temperatures. Another feature of the dish – the British adhered to the presence of streaks in meat and a large amount of fat. During cooking, it was melted and additionally nourished the dish.
Contents
The composition and caloric content of roast beef depends not only on the meat itself but also on the heat treatment. The calorie content of the dish is 173 kcal per 100 grams of the product. Among the beneficial vitamins, experts distinguish vitamins of groups B, E, H, and PP.
In roast beef, you can find a lot of nutrients: choline, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, iodine, phosphorus, and sodium. The ratio of proteins and fats is quite balanced. By regularly eating this dish, you will maintain the balance of protein in the body.
Health benefits
The main health benefit of roast beef is the presence of amino acids necessary for the body’s functioning. Experts distinguish the following number of valuable properties of the dish for health:
- Strengthening of muscle tissue. High protein content helps muscle tissue growth, cell regeneration and prevents bone fragility.
- Improving the immune system. B vitamins help make the human body more resistant to viruses and bacteria.
- Replenishment of missing amino acids. Beef contains nine amino acids necessary for the human body. Experts say that the body itself cannot produce these substances.
- Benefits for the nervous system. Thanks to the balance of amino acids, roast beef helps to relieve stress, reduce depression and improve sleep.
- Increases the resistance to anemia. Beef contains high levels of iron, which helps to increase hemoglobin levels.
- Improvement of skin regeneration. Beef helps strengthen the nail plate, tooth enamel, and hair structure.
Regular consumption of roast beef also helps to strengthen blood vessels, normalize the level of acidity and remove cholesterol.
Possible contraindications
Like any dish, roast beef has some harmful effects from consumption. Experts identify the following possible health hazards:
- a high content of saturated fats that negatively affect health
- increased risk of cardiovascular diseases due to high-fat levels
- increased cholesterol levels in the blood
Most of the negative consequences arise from high-fat content. Dieters and weight watchers should limit the consumption of this dish and beef in general.
Beef selection
To cook a delicious roast beef, you must correctly choose the right meat for cooking. Experts identify a number of the following tips for choosing meat:
- choose dark beef
- do not remove the fat layer
- choose a thin edge of beef or tenderloin
Professional chefs advise not to remove the bone from the meat, so the dish will turn out more juicy. In addition, the meat next to the bone is more tender. This property of the product will positively affect the cooking time of roast beef.
Roasting Degrees
In meat preparation, you should pay special attention to the choice of the degree of roasting. It is also worth remembering that it is the final minutes of cooking that affect this process. Professional chefs distinguish the following degrees of roasting:
- 60 degrees — meat with blood
- 70 degrees — medium roast
- 80 degrees — full roast
In this process, a kitchen thermometer will be an excellent helper.
Preliminary preparation
Professional chefs do not advise cooking roast beef from frozen meat. You should choose fresh meat. To make the dish juicy and tender, keep the meat in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
During this time, special enzymes are formed in the tissues that change the structure of beef meat, helping to soften muscle protein during cooking, due to which the dish acquires a unique aroma and taste, it turns out soft and juicy.
How long to cook roast beef per pound
To correctly calculate the cooking time of roast beef, you need to weigh the meat. The desired degree of cooking also plays an important role. For a low degree of roasting, you should cook every 500 grams of meat for 40 minutes.
If you need an average degree of roasting, cook the same amount of meat for 50 minutes. If you want to get a perfectly roasted roast beef, cook it for at least 60 minutes.
How long to cook 1kg roast beef
The weight of the selected piece of meat greatly affects the cooking time of roast beef. The optimal size is 500 grams. By choosing this weight, you can be sure that the meat will fry evenly. However, many prefer to choose more voluminous pieces of meat for roast beef.
In this case, you need to be especially attentive to the cooking time. If you take 1 kg of meat, then it should spend at least 1.5 hours in the oven.
Should you cover a beef roast in the oven?
If this is the first time you’ve come across a roast beef recipe, then you probably can’t figure out whether it’s worth covering the meat with a lid.
Professional chefs give an unambiguous answer to this question – this is a necessary procedure. Because of the thickness of the meat, it will be difficult for you to cook it evenly. If you cover the dish with a lid, the heat will concentrate at one point and the internal juices will quickly clog up.
There is another option – the use of foil. You can fry the meat in a frying pan without a lid for 15 minutes, then cover the roast beef with foil. Next, you need to place the meat on a baking sheet and bake for about 60 minutes.
This cooking technology will help to achieve the best juiciness of the product and eliminate the possibility of unroasted areas.
How do you keep beef moist when roasting?
A significant component of proper roast beef preparation is moisture retention. Due to what it is possible to achieve such an effect?
- Choose beef with high-fat content. When exposed to high temperatures, the fat will melt and give moisture to the meat.
- Before the extinguishing process, fry the meat without a lid for 15-20 minutes. Internal juices will be able to clog up.
There may also be a situation in which you will need to reheat the already cooked roast beef, keeping it moist. A distinctive feature of such meat is that after a while after cooking it becomes very dry. How to fix it?
- Take a frying pan, pour water into it.
- Place the cooked roast beef there and heat it in water under the lid.
The meat will be able to be saturated with additional moisture, and its fibers will soften.
What is the best temperature for slow cooking beef?
The choice of roast beef cooking temperature depends on many factors: the weight of the meat, the cooking method, and the required degree of roasting.
The optimal average cooking temperature for juicy and tender meat, regardless of extraneous factors, is 40-50 degrees Celsius. It is this temperature that allows all enzymes to be activated.
Spices for roast beef
A competent choice of spices is a significant stage in the preparation of roast beef. The classic recipe only provides for the use of pepper, salt, and vegetable oil.
This set of spices does not interrupt the rich taste of meat. However, you can experiment and use herbs that go well with beef. Among them: rosemary, mustard, dried garlic, and oregano.
How To Make A Tender Roast Beef In The Oven
The best option to get evenly-fried roast beef is to cook it in the oven. Prepare the necessary ingredients:
- beef – 500 grams
- salt, spices, herbs
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Defrost the meat, rinse it, remove excess streaks. Leave all the fat layers. Allow the beef to warm up to room temperature.
- Take the beef and fix its shape. Take a thick thread or twine to tie the meat. It will help the beef not fall apart during cooking and be juicier.
- Take a frying pan, heat olive oil in it. Place the beef there and fry evenly on all sides for about 15 minutes.
- While the meat is frying in a frying pan, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Grease a baking sheet with olive oil and let it warm up in the oven for 5 minutes.
- Place the pre-fried meat in the oven. For 500 grams of meat, 30-40 minutes of cooking will be enough.
- After cooking the meat, give it a little “rest”. Only 30 minutes will be enough for this.
The best way to serve roast beef is stewed vegetables and fresh herbs. Professional chefs do not advise serving beef with heavy side dishes like potatoes.
How to slow cook a roast in the oven so it falls apart
Professional chefs consider the roast beef that just falls apart to be successful. It is this structure of meat that guarantees the juiciness and tenderness of the dish.
To achieve this effect, you need to achieve the ideal internal temperature of cooking meat. In the case of a thick piece of beef, it is 50-60 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, all internal juices can become clogged, and excess fat will simply come out.
Tender roast beef recipe
To prepare a soft classic beef recipe, prepare the following ingredients:
- beef (rump) – 1 kg
- a mixture of coarse peppers – 1 tbsp.
- olive oil – 2 tbsp.
- coarse salt – to taste
Step-by-step preparation:
- Rinse the meat in cold water and dry it with towels. Sprinkle the beef with a mixture of peppers and brush with olive oil. Carefully rub the spices and oil into the meat.
- Wrap the beef in plastic wrap. Tie the meat with a tight thread so that it does not fall apart.
- Take a grill pan and put it to warm up. Put the meat in a frying pan and fry a little without a lid. The required degree of readiness is a golden crust. It will help to clog all the juices inside the beef.
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Place the meat on a preheated baking sheet. Bake the beef for 30 minutes.
You can determine the degree of readiness of meat by piercing it with a knife. If pale pink juice is released at the puncture site, then it is ready. The bright red color means that you need to keep it in the oven for at least 15 minutes. Light and transparent juice indicate that the meat is over-dried. After cooking, you should give the roast beef some time to rest.
Summary
Roast beef is a traditional English dish that has gained worldwide popularity. The main ingredient is beef. The British. those who love endurance, do not like to add even spices to meat. The taste, juiciness, and tenderness of the dish depend only on the technology of preparation.
Choose dark meat with a lot of fat. Cook the meat in two ways at once – first in a frying pan, and then in the oven. For greater uniformity, use foil or food wrap.
Calculate the optimal cooking time from the weight of a piece of beef. Choose a suitable recipe, experiment with spices, the main thing is not to interrupt the taste of rich beef!