what's in a name?

39. Oven-roast rib of beef


The names of beef cuts changes depending on where you are. In Australia, some butchers will sell you rib eye steaks. Others will sell you scotch fillet steaks. They're one in the same. Scotch fillet steaks are not fillet steaks, though. Fillet steaks come from the sirloin, which is located towards the rear of the animal.

Anyway, I have a scotch fillet--boneless, for reference--here that requires roasting. And so here we are with the first of Larousse Gastronomique's roast beef recipes. Larousse Gastronomique asks the reader to brush the beef with either melted butter or dripping and then roast it at 240 degrees for 15-18 minutes per 450 grams plus an extra 15 minutes. It then rests in a hot oven, which has been switched off, for 30 minutes, covered in foil.

Now here's one of the 'problems' with Larousse Gastronomique: the entries and recipes for one technique or ingredient can contradict each other. The 'beef' entry has a spiel on roasting that recommends cooking the meat at a lower temperature than what the actual recipe specifies: 230 degrees for 15 minutes then 15-20 minutes per 450 g at 200 degrees. Given my success with a similar roasting method detailed in Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Meat book, I'm inclined to go along with the entry's advice.

The roast beef came out okay, although it would've been great if I'd used some grass-fed beef. Clayton doesn't offer such luxuries locally. The meat came out to a medium-doneness even though I was aiming for medium-rare--I'm not sold on the idea of resting meat in an oven that's just been switched off. Next time I'd rest it elsewhere or, at the very least, keep the oven door wide open.

40. Mashed potatoes

Well-made mashed potatoes are some of the best eating there is. My favourite variation on the theme is aligot, to which I was introduced at Embrasse. Larousse Gastronomique includes a recipe for that, but given that it requires tracking down a certain kind of cheese, I'm just following the normal mashed potatoes recipe tonight. Larousse Gastronomique's method is stock standard: you quarter potatoes, boil them until soft, mash them (either by hand, with a potato ricer or by working them through a sieve) and then load them up with glorious dairy fat. In this case, butter. The recipe mentions you can throw in some grated cheese, too, if you like, so I added a bit of Parmesan.