How to make a good roast beef: cooking, meat and recipe.

“My mother’s roast beef was so good!” In Quebec, it seems that only our mothers and grandmothers were able to make a good, I mean, excellent roast beef. And they didn’t even know about Kobe beef! But now it’s 2021, and there’s no more reasons why the guys shouldn’t leave their mark as good cooks in their children’s memories.

The origins of roast beef

Prior to the British conquest of Nouvelle-France, the Canadian menu was rather limited. Bread represented 60 to 80% of the food. The climate did not allow the colonists to recreate their recipes from France. In addition to the climatic constraints, there were the 150 days of fasting imposed by the Catholic Church. Fortunately, the First Nations taught the colonists how to grow the Three Sisters (beans, corn and squash) as well as pumpkin.

It was the British who enriched our food traditions, bringing with them tea, potatoes and the habit of eating farmed meat. Over time, French-Canadian families adopted stews, meat pies and… roast beef!

How to choose your roast beef?

The first principle to succeed with your roast beef is to give all the necessary attention to the choice of the piece of meat. For a beef roast in the oven, Terry prefers to cook a piece of the top shoulder (rump steak), while for a beef roast au jus, he will opt for a piece of ribeye or striploin.

How to cook roast beef?

Roast beef in the oven or au jus requires specific cooking temperatures. Here are 2 roast beef recipes from Terry Pomerantz and no doubt inspired by Mom Pomerantz

Oven Roast Beef à la Pomerantz (serves 6)

• Marinate the beef 24 hours in the refrigerator in a mixture of soy sauce and steak spices.
• Before cooking, let roast for one hour at room temperature.
• Cook for 40 minutes per pound to obtain a medium rare roast.
• Serve roast beef with baked potatoes and buttered carrots.

Pomerantz Style Roast Beef au Jus (serves 6)

• In the refrigerator, marinate the beef (ribeye, striploin or tenderloin) for 24 hours in a mixture of beef broth, red wine, garlic, thyme and finely chopped celery and onion.
• Before cooking, let the roast stand for one hour at room temperature.
• Store the marinade in a container and pat the beef dry.
• When Terry uses the stove, he sears the outside of the roast in a skillet.
• But whenever he can, Terry uses the BBQ. He then browns the outside of the beef directly on the hot grill.
• Once the outside is lightly crusted, place the roast in a roasting pan and cover with aluminum foil.
• Pour marinade into a roasting pan.
• For medium rare roast, cook for about 40 minutes per pound at 350°F.
• Using a cooking thermometer, make sure the inside of the roast reaches 120 to 140°F.
• Remove juices from the roasting pan and strain with a colander.
• Pour the juice into a saucepan, add a knob of butter and bring to a boil.
• Serve roast beef au jus with mashed potatoes and sautéed mushrooms.

A Mom Pomerantz Approved Roast Beef Recipe

To make sure his family and friends like his roast beef, Terry doesn’t hesitate to dig through old recipe books from his matriarchal lineage. Terry Pomerantz is particularly fond of the ones he learned from watching Mom Pomerantz cook. Bon appétit!