Recipe Notes: Skillet Beef Top Loin Roast with Potatoes

20 January 2019

Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, November 2018

The November 2018 issue of Cook's Illustrated has a holiday recipe for Beef Top Loin Roast with Potatoes. NY strip steaks are cut from this roast which is also called a strip roast. It is a well-marbled cut of meat that produces tender steaks. The magazine recipe calls for a five pound roast and includes five pounds of potatoes, enough for a crowd! Fortunately the web site has a recipe for smaller portions which would be more appropriate for the two of us. The roasted potatoes look wonderful and the roast should be similar to a rib roast, which we have enjoyed for special occasion dinners.

The three-pound roast was trimmed, seasoned with salt and pepper, wrapped, and left in the refrigerator over night. Instead of Yukon gold potatoes, which I couldn't find, I used "gold potatoes"; I don't know what the difference might be, if any. These were peeled, the ends removed, and they were cut crosswise into quarters. The roast and trimmings were browned in a skillet. The roast was removed to a plate and the trimmings to a sauce pan. The potatoes were layered in the pan and one side was well browned on the stove top. Removing the skillet from the burner, the potatoes were covered with foil which was perforated. The roast was placed on top of the foil and the skillet placed in a 300° oven and cooked until the beef's temperature reached 115°. Meanwhile, beef broth, fresh rosemary and thyme, gelatin, and garlic were added to the sauce pan with the rendered beef trimmings, brought to a boil, and then passed through a fine mesh strainer producing 2 cups of jus. The beef was removed to rest and the foil was removed from the skillet. The jus was poured around the potatoes which were placed in a 500° oven until the liquid was reduced by half. It took 2½ hours to cook the meat and potatoes.

 

The beef was excellent, tender and well seasoned. The jus was also very good with a delightful flavor from the thyme and rosemary. The potatoes, however, were disappointing. They were not done, were a little tough, and the browned ends didn't add much to their flavor or texture. As leftovers they had a somewhat rubbery consistency. I don't know if the problem with the potatoes was undercooking or something to do with the variety of potatoes that I used. I don't know if I'll make this again. The beef and jus were very good but the roast potatoes were not. There are other roast beef recipes that work just as well so why go to the trouble of roasting the potatoes if they are not going to work out.