roast beef

[kellytree]

I have come up with the brilliant idea of making roast beef for Easter - I am no big meat eater and my meat cooking skills are rather lacking.

My idea is a blast from the past when I used to work at a little deli about 25 years ago and they would take a big slab of beef and cover it chunky salt and cook it for god knows how long - then chop off all the harden salt and boy oh boy was it good in roast beef sandwiches (which I never liked except the ones from this place)

I suppose a 1 or 2 kg chuck of meat will be plenty - what cut of meat should I get?

(in italian - also in english just as an extra tidbit of info

Will the salt method work on a small piece of meat or will I end up with a big salty disaster?

[cinghiale]

In researching how to ask an Italian butcher to cut shoulder/clod, brisket, short rib, chuck, etc., I found several helpful sites. According to the chart found here, you'd probably want a lombata if you're seeking to make a traditional rib roast. Of course, other cuts fore and aft work, too. More technical joint and meat cuts for cow, lamb, calf, and pig can be found at a German CMA site, both in English and in Italian.

[hathor]

Slow Food puts out a book that describes all the cuts, it's helpful because American and Italian butchers cut up their beef totally different.

My guess on the salt thing is that you want a fairly big roast, otherwise you are going to end up with salted beef jerkey!

I have to ask....are fresh fava beans in the market yet? I woke up fantasizing about fresh fava beans and a leg of lamb.

Maybe we should swap? You pop over to the States for roast beef, and I'll come to LeMarche for some fava and lamb...

[kellytree]

Thanks for your input.....

I don't know if I want to make traditional rib roast (not because I am unsure but because I am an ignoramus on the matter)

I will ask the butcher for a lombata .... now - considering this is Italy and getting what you want on the first try can be pretty hard sometimes - if the butcher gives me one of those "che cosà??????? " looks what's another way to say the same piece of meat... or something similar.

How how shall I cook it if I can't do it salt?

It will be served coldish , sliced very thin with my Danish friends famous sauce (basically tarter sauce) .... usually her Dad brings her a big ole roast beef from Denmark which I think they boil and then stick in the oven but Idunnoknow!

FAVA - yes the first favas are out and about ... still little but delicious. We actually had our first lunch outside a couple weeks ago.

Maybe I should ditch the roastbeef idea and go with something I know ... fava beans and pecorino!

In researching how to ask an Italian butcher to cut shoulder/clod, brisket, short rib, chuck, etc., I found several helpful sites.  According to the chart found here, you'd probably want a lombata if you're seeking to make a traditional rib roast.  Of course, other cuts fore and aft work, too.  More technical joint and meat cuts for cow, lamb, calf, and pig can be found at a German CMA site, both in English and in Italian.

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Edited March 20, 2008 by kellytree (log)

[cinghiale]

Slow Food puts out a book that describes all the cuts, it's helpful because American and Italian butchers cut up their beef totally different.

Nice tip, Judith. I'll look for it. I've just ordered up a used copy of the 1996 edition of the Meat Buyers Guide. Figuring, as you say, that Italian butchers cut meat differently, my plan is to point at a picture in the book and say to the butcher, "Voglio questo taglio". Bene?

[kellytree]

Update: THe butcher gave me a piece of "girello"

heat up the oven to 250° C

stuck some cloves of garlic in the hunk o' meat

rubbed on some herbs and black pepper

covered the whole thing in salt (grosso)

stuck it in the oven for 15 minutes

turned down the oven to 140 ° C

left it in the oven for 28 minutes (7 min. per pound)

took it out - cooled down - take off the salt

pray

... we tried a slice last night - just to make sure --- damn good.

and easy.

[divina]

oops sorry I missed this!

yes Girello, which is eye of round in the states!

I have Dario Cecchini's recipe on my site, which is cooked with nothing then covered in a herb infused olive oil!

It is the party favorite!

Last week tried it with Rosetta, but wasn't as good as with the girello!

buona pasqua!

I found a maialino al latte, a 5 kilo suckling pig, and am throwin that baby in the oven right now!

wanted to do it whole , but my hubby was a little sad looking at it's cute face!

So I cut it up and will do it in pieces, but did roast the head for dinner last night!

foto's coming later on my whole hog blog!

Buona pasqua a tutti!

[hathor]

sounds yummy Kellytree!

Hope you had a buona pasca!

We ate lots and lots of lamb.