Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy...
my go to comfort food. When my mom says, "What do you want for your birthday dinner?" This has always been my answer.
Not because it's roast beef, but because it's MOM's roast beef. Is it the beef? Or is it the creamy mashed potatoes? Or is it the gravy? I think it might be the gravy. OR...maybe it's the LOVE!
When my girls were growing up and grandma would visit I would make them watch and help grandma make the gravy. I actually told them that the "gravy making gene" skips a generation!
You see, I never was able to perfect the smooth, grease-free gravy that my mom always accomplished. So I figured if my kids believed they could learn it, they would!
Gotta keep it in the family!
Since my girls are now grown and on their own, the gravy making is back to me.
There is a secret....... patience...... not a virtue of mine (ask my husband). But, for the sake of this post, I will try to have patience so you, too, can learn to make delicious brown gravy.
When I talked to my mom about this post, she said that lately it's difficult to find a classic rump roast in the meat case. So I went to a butcher and they cut one for me.
Ask for a rump roast or sirloin tip roast. Four pounds should easily feed 8 people and hopefully you will have leftovers for sandwiches.
This cut of meat is not a tender cut, so it should be cooked to medium or medium well, then sliced thinly, about ⅛" to make it tender to eat.
The most difficult thing about this roast beef recipe is the time...it needs to cook for 2-3 hours. The EASIEST thing about this recipe is that you stick it in the oven and pretty much LEAVE IT alone...perfect for a Sunday Supper.
During the last 45 minutes of cooking start the mashed potatoes.
And guess what? There's a secret ingredient... My mom has always used Lawry's Seasoned Salt on the roast.
Roast Beef and Gravy
Ingredients
Roast Beef
- 4 pound rump roast or sirloin tip roast, ask your butcher
- Lawry's Seasoned Salt
- 1 ½ cups liquid, pan drippings + water
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- Mashed Potatoes
Instructions
- Remove the roast from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before putting it into the oven.
- Preheat oven to 500ºF, make sure rack sits in the bottom third of the oven.
- Sprinkle the roast all over with the Lawry's Seasoned Salt. If you like less salt then sprinkle lightly. If your family prefers more salt, then sprinkle liberally.
- Put a rack in the bottom of a Dutch oven tall enough to accommodate the roast with the lid on.
- Put the roast on the rack and put into the oven, uncovered.
- Cook for 30-45 minutes or until nicely browned.
- Watch the drippings throughout the cooking time; if they start to brown too much (burn) add a small amount of water to the bottom of the pan so you can use them for the gravy. The water should not touch the roast.
- Turn the oven down to 325ºF, cover the Dutch oven and cook for an additional 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until an instant read thermometer reads 155ºF.
- Remove beef from the pan, set on a platter and tent with foil. (Do not seal or the meat will steam.) Let the meat "rest" while you make the gravy.
- Pour the drippings into a heat-proof liquid measuring cup and skim all but 2 Tablespoons of fat. Be sure to leave all the little bits and pieces as those will add to the flavor of the gravy.
- Set the Dutch oven, with the brown bits still in the bottom, on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Add the 2 Tablespoons of fat to the pan. If there is less fat than 2 Tablespoons, then add olive oil to make up the difference and heat until shimmery.
- Sprinkle the flour over the fat and whisk vigorously to incorporate.
- Then whisk the 1 ½ cups of water mixture into the pan drippings.
- Whisk until smooth and thickened. If you like thicker gravy, add more flour, if you like it thinner, add more water.
- Strain into serving bowl, unless you like the bits and pieces in your gravy.
- This roast should be sliced thinly to eat.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, gravy and a vegetable of your choice for a delicious complete meal.
Be a Gr8 Friend and tell us what you think!