Roast Beef Advice for a Novice Cook

[Beth Wilson]

FYI, I don't entertain much so I have a newby question that I hope you guys can help me out with.

 

My Inlaws are having a 55th anniversary next month and I am helping co-ordinate the dinner. 

 

My MIL is making Coq au vin the day before as the chicken dish and I am thinking of doing a roast beef or lamb or possibly both for the dinner party.  There will be 25 guests including a few small children.

 

What I want to do is cook the roasts ahead of time to rare, and then on the day of the party just warm them and serve.  They like their roasts on the medium rare side.

 

Other family members are bringing dishes that require the use of the kitchen and I am trying to plan as much as possible to be done ahead of time in order to free up the kitchen for them. 

 

So my question is, how should I prepare the roasts the day before so they will be awesome to serve warmed up on the day of the party, or is doing the day of the party the best way to go?

 

Thanks for the help!

[janeer]

Why don't you do tenderloin on the day; will take 25 min

[Beth Wilson]

I am very novice when it comes to cooking roasts so I never even thought of a tenderloin. 

 

Just 25 minutes too cook a tenderloin sounds promising!  I was trying to stay out of the kitchen on the day of the dinner since other members of the family are expecting to have the kitchen for vegetable and appetizer use.

 

Since space is limited I had thought it would be easier to do it the day before and warm it somehow....even on the bbq wrapped up.  Just trying to keep the peace on a busy day :-)

[ChefPip]

I just roasted a small piece of "Eye Of Round" last night.  It was then placed it in the fridge overnight so I could slice it thin with my meat slicer earlier this morning. 

 

Tenderloin is great meat for such a party where as the Roast Beef from Eye or Round is tougher.  Thats why I slice it thin so it will be

easier to eat.  You won't have much or a problem with the Tenderloin and you serve it in 1/2 inch thick cuts.

 

Since you have some time before this presentation is due give this page look over.  I rubbed my 2 pound piece of Eye of Round with some coarse ground pepper, coarse Kosher salt, garlic and onion powder and at the end a slight dusting of Oriental 5 Spice seasoning.  It taste about like what I'd buy at the Deli section of my local grocery stores.  My finishing internal temp was 145 degrees.

 

http://www.thehungrymouse.com/2009/03/09/make-your-own-deli-style-roast-beef/.

 

 

I would slice the Roat Beef at about 1/8 inch thick cuts.   As you will have some kids there you could make "Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches" for them as that may be enough for the kids.  Basically a sandwich with some meat filling cut diagonally and a scoop of mashed potatoes in the spread open sandwich.  This is topped with a savory brown  beef gravy.  Heinz makes a savory brown beef gravy which would work nicely with this.

 

My RB slized and finished would cover either of my open hands from finger tip to wrist.  All 2 lbs of it of which half is in the freezer now.  But I can't say enough for having a having a meat slicer for Roast Beef.  I've seen those small electric ones in yard sales for as little as $10 dollars.  But these are just some suggestions.  

Edited August 30, 2014 by ChefPip (log)

[ChrisTaylor]

What's the expected time gap between you leaving home and dinner being served? I'm fond of searing a rib eye roast over/under intense heat and then roasting it in a very low oven until it hits medium rare. I then rest it, wrapped in a few layers of foil, for about one hour. If you kept it in a cooler (without ice, obviously) I reckon you could keep it warm a while longer. A piece of meat that solid is going to take a while to lose heat if it's kept in insulated packaging.

[pbear]

IMHO, this isn't a good plan.  On account of its thickness, reheating a roast beef takes nearly as long as cooking it in the first place.  So, if a BBQ is available (by which I assume you mean a gas or charcoal grill), cook the roast that way (by indirect heat) on the day of the dinner party.  Another option would be to use a crock-pot with a rack as a slow oven, monitoring temp of the meat with a probe thermometer.  A third option would be to do another beef dish, e.g., short ribs, which isn't so dependent on precise timing.

[CatPoet]

Why not serve  cold roast beef and let the  side be warm?  That is what I do for big parties and I have an ace recipe for called permafrost roast   http://forums.egullet.org/topic/148966-permafrost-roasttj%C3%A4lkn%C3%B6l-backward-roast/

[Norm Matthews]

How long does it take you to go from your house to the party?  I'd cook the roast to temperature, not time but plan it so the roast (rib roast is best for cooking to medium rare) then wrap it in foil, put it in a pan with sides, and take it to the party.  If it is a half hour trip, it will be ready to slice and serve when you get there.  

Edited August 30, 2014 by Norm Matthews (log)

[Beth Wilson]

I live 5 hours away so the plan is to stay at the inlaws the night before.  So I am staying at the place where everything is happening.  The other family members live closer but are planning dishes that will take a few hours of the kitchen time just before dinner, mostly a few apps, vegetables and a side dish of some sort.

 

My plan was to get my stuff done the day before and just warm it to serve the day of the party so I can help out in the kitchen but basically not need much space for myself. 

 

I looked at the Permafrost Roast Recipe and it sounds promising, thanks CatPoet.  I was thinking all along of serving it warmed with gravy but perhaps I should try out cooking it overnight and have it in the marinade stage while everyone else is in the kitchen.  The kitchen is not the biggest and with too many people in it, I get antsy.

 

Pbear, I was thinking that myself which is why I posted the question..I really wanted to do a nice roast but I was worried it would be dry if I reheated it on the Saturday.  I don't want to be embarrassed to serve the dish to the family.  There is a gas bbq on the deck so I was thinking of doing something out on the deck instead....hoping it isn't raining of course!

[CatPoet]

I serve it a room temperature  with hot gravy in autumn and with  yoghurt sauce in summer and so far no one have ever complained and the best thing, since the meat is frozen solid when you start, it really hard to over cook it.  Just remember this,  the meat has to be frozen solid  and the  time for the marinate starts as soon as meat  goes into the liquid and it  is goes quick from nice to salty  I most often keep it at 4 hour and be happy with it. The end are always salty.

 

My father   takes about 3 bunches of sage, thyme and oregano and packs that tightly around the meat, before adding  adding the marinade  and it  just makes  a very  aromatic roast.

 

But what ever you do, do a test run at home.  

[Beth Wilson]

 

But what ever you do, do a test run at home.  

 

I will try it out first on DH.  He loves it when I am learning new things to cook, even the failures :-)

[Norm Matthews]

CatPoet is right. Serve it at room temperature.  It is safer and easier than trying to reheat it whole. 

[pbear]

I live 5 hours away so the plan is to stay at the inlaws the night before.  So I am staying at the place where everything is happening.  The other family members live closer but are planning dishes that will take a few hours of the kitchen time just before dinner, mostly a few apps, vegetables and a side dish of some sort.

 

My plan was to get my stuff done the day before and just warm it to serve the day of the party so I can help out in the kitchen but basically not need much space for myself. 

 

I looked at the Permafrost Roast Recipe and it sounds promising, thanks CatPoet.  I was thinking all along of serving it warmed with gravy but perhaps I should try out cooking it overnight and have it in the marinade stage while everyone else is in the kitchen.  The kitchen is not the biggest and with too many people in it, I get antsy.

 

Pbear, I was thinking that myself which is why I posted the question..I really wanted to do a nice roast but I was worried it would be dry if I reheated it on the Saturday.  I don't want to be embarrassed to serve the dish to the family.  There is a gas bbq on the deck so I was thinking of doing something out on the deck instead....hoping it isn't raining of course!

 

I agree CatPoet's suggestion is a good one.  In addition to doing a test run, be sure your in-laws' oven can go down to 170ºF.  In my experience, most American home ovens don't and that's a critical feature of the recipe.  If this is a problem and/or you want to serve warm, the gas grill is your best option.  As a back-up, in case of rain, you could roast the meat in the oven the day of the party, timing things so the oven is free when others arrive.  From there, you can either serve at room temp or use the hold-in-a-cooler strategy mentioned by Chris Taylor in Post #5..

[CatPoet]

I called Dad  and he said you can put it at  212 F but then you need put a thermometer  in after 6 hours.  It works on reindeer and elk  ( alces alces alces).

[Lisa Shock]

The main issue I see with warming (while not being a good idea anyway) right before serving is that is precisely when everyone else will want to be using the stove for their sauces and quick cooking veggies, etc. Usually, a meal like this works best when one person is in charge and makes a schedule out so that it's clear how each burner will be used and how the real estate in the oven will be divided.

 

In your situation, I'd set myself up outside the kitchen with that grill, a large umbrella & raincoat and whatever else I can dig up to cook in: slow cooker, chafing dish, toaster oven, etc. You might want to ask if anyone in the group has a counter-top oven, that would probably help greatly. And, I'd definitely cook it that day. If you grill a marinated tenderloin, you won't need gravy. Just make sure that the potato dishes are self-sauced.

[Kerry Beal]

Any chance that you have one of those old Hamilton Beach Roasters Beth?  I can lend you one if you want.  Then you'll only need a plug.

[Beth Wilson]

Any chance that you have one of those old Hamilton Beach Roasters Beth?  I can lend you one if you want.  Then you'll only need a plug.

 

I might take you up on that Kerry!  I think they have a plug outside so bonus!  I can still be out of the kitchen. 

[Beth Wilson]

Usually, a meal like this works best when one person is in charge and makes a schedule out so that it's clear how each burner will be used and how the real estate in the oven will be divided.

 

 

LOL!  I have worked out a spreadsheet for the menu, laying out the prep requirements for the kitchen and who is doing what or what is being ordered ahead of time    I have been sending it back and forth to MIL to figure this stuff out before sending it to everyone on the list so they will know who is doing what and who needs the kitchen for the afternoon.  So I guess I am in charge?

 

The roast is the thing that I wanted to take out of the kitchen since it looks like two other family members will need some time for preparing their dishes and there of course will be some last minute plating of the simple stuff.

 

It is looking like the roast is going to be cooked outside the day of if we are going with warm meat....  It will be roasted overnight if cold is ok.  Looks like I better get experimenting.