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Classic Roast Beef with Gravy

Source of Recipe


From "Cook it in Cast Iron" by America's Test Kitchen



List of Ingredients



• 1 (4- to 5-pound) boneless top round roast, trimmed and tied at 1-inch intervals
  
• Salt and pepper
  
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra as needed
  
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
  
• 1 onion, sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds
  
• 1 celery rib, cut into 2-inch pieces
  
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
  
• â…“ cup all-purpose flour
  
• 1 tsp tomato paste
  
• 2 (10.5-ounce) cans beef consommé
  
• 1½ cups water
  






Instructions



1. Sprinkle roast with 2 teaspoons salt, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
   
   
2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225° F. Pat roast dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons pepper. Heat 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add oil and heat until just smoking. Brown roast on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes; transfer to plate.
   
   
3. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet. (If necessary, add extra oil as needed to equal 2 tablespoons.) Add carrots, onion, celery, and butter and cook until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in flour and tomato paste and cook until mixture begins to darken, about 2 minutes. Off heat, push vegetables to center of skillet. Place browned roast on top of vegetables, transfer skillet to oven, and roast until meat registers 120° to 125° F (for medium-rare), 1½ to 2 hours.
   
   
4. Using potholders, remove skillet from oven. Transfer roast to carving board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest while making gravy.
   
   
5. Being careful of hot skillet handle, place skillet with vegetables over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in consommé and water, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Bring to simmer and cook until gravy is thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in any accumulated meat juices.
   
   Strain gravy through fine-mesh strainer into serving bowl, pressing on vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove kitchen twine from roast and slice thin against grain. Serve with gravy.
   
   Serves 8