Jim's Birthday Beef!

It was one of our card players birthday coming up. Jim was raised on a farm in Iowa and he had been lamenting about how dinner had always been beef! Now days, its lucky to have hamburger! Well after living in this area over 40 years, slave knew just where to buy the best cuts of meat. So a trip out to a country butcher shop yielded a wonderful 3 lbs THICK roast for this dish. 
 

While this is not for everyday, a splurge once in awhile feels so extra special when it is for a true friend!

Ingredients:

3lbs chuck roast cut into 1-2 inch pieces

2 onions chopped

1 pkg fresh button mushrooms

½ cup baby carrots

1 cup beef STOCK

2Tbs cake flour

½ tsp thyme

salt & pepper to taste

1 tube of crescent dough

1 egg for egg wash

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Cut up the onion. Rinse the mushrooms well and drain.

Cut beef into cubes. In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown beef, in batches, transferring to baking dish using slotted spoon.

Add onions, carrots, and mushrooms; season with thyme, salt & pepper.

Cover tightly with foil and place in oven for about 1 hour to the pound of beef.

Lay out a piece of wax paper and unroll the crescent dough on that.

With 30 minutes to go, remove meat dish from oven. Raise heat to 375. Remove foil.

Using a slotted spoon, Drain the beef & vegetable mixture into a clean dish or large bowl.

Drain off ½ cup of liquid into a saucepan, throw out the rest. Return the beef & vegetables and set the piece of foil back on top while you make the gravy.

Mix 2 Tbs of cake flour into the cup of beef stock until well blended. Heat the meat juices as you stir in beef stock. Continue to stir as this cooks. It will be very thick. Taste – you might want a touch of Worcester sauce to deepen the flavor. When satisfied with taste, pour over the mixture.

Now carefully carry the wax paper with the dough sticking to it to the baking dish. Invert this onto the mixture and carefully peel off the paper.

In a small bowl whisk up the egg and brush this over the dough. Return this to the now 375 degree oven for a final ½ hour.

Check the meat with a thermometer, it should be at least 160 degrees.

You have plenty of time to set the table and fix the side vegetables.

Slave chose to saute some fresh asparagus with cherry tomatoes for a well balanced color combination.

For music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUowWUCNJtU

Just being able to do this little thing for a friend on his birthday brings such joy to slave. Also in doing so, slave was serving its Master at the same time.

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!

Please buy slave's cookbook:

The Little Black Book of Indiscreet Recipes 

by 

Dan White http://www.amazon.com

/dp/B00F315Y4I

/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_vAT4sb0934RTM via 

@amazon