The Result

What a day of cooking it was! I now very much believe in practice runs for big meals like a Sunday Roast, I think it will take a few more before I do the 'real thing'. Two ovens would be helpful, too. "Next house", as my husband kindly encourages me. The actual executing of this meal in reality is quite simple, it's the timing of all the steps that can throw a curve ball. At one point I found myself baking Popovers, resting meat, reducing sauce, boiling vegetables, and frying potatoes simultaneously. Oh, and drinking coffee to keep me alert! I think I did OK, but I would only give myself a 5 out of 10 for this one since the Popovers were a bit dark (but not burned, phew!) , the meat wasn't TOO dry, although I am sure it would have been a lot juicier if it hadn't sat for 45 minutes as I baked the Popovers (this is where the two ovens would come in handy), and the potatoes were not as caramelized as they should have been. The sauce, however, was almost divine! I absolutely adore reduced liquids, this one being no exception. I used the braising liquid from the roast, made a roux out of the fat which I stirred into the broth and then reduced. The braising liquid consisted of a mirepoix of onion, celery, and carrot, plus a sachet with a bay leaf, thyme, garlic and peppercorns, plus tomato paste and brown stock. I do wonder if a roast would still be a roast if I wrapped it in some sort of a fat, like bacon, to keep it from drying out? The flavour and tenderness of my roast were quite nice, I can be picky when it comes to beef. I think, too, if kids can chew a piece of meat in under a minute, it's definitely got the right consistency. Perhaps trying a different cut would bring different results as well, as I used a pretty lean Inside Round. Regardless, it was fun, my kitchen was toasty warm (I love that on cold days!) and the dog was thrilled to take part of the fatty bits which us girls do not like to eat.