Sam Arnold's Cross Rib Roast
Submitted by buggz
Cross rib roast braised with vegetables, black olives, tomatoes, red wine, and a bouquet garni for 2 hours until fork-tender. The strained pan juices make a self-thickening gravy with no extra steps.
Cross rib is a well-worked cut that rewards braising. Brown the vegetables first, sear the beef on both sides in the same pot without piercing it with a fork, then build the braise around it with tomatoes, black olives, stock, red wine, and a bouquet garni of parsley and bay leaf.
Two hours in a moderate oven, covered, and the beef turns genuinely tender. The real payoff is the gravy: strain the braising liquid through a coarse sieve and force the cooked vegetable pulp through with the back of a spoon. That pulp thickens the sauce naturally without flour or cornstarch, and the olives have been cooking in it the whole time, giving the gravy a depth that’s hard to replicate.
Serve with something that can soak up the sauce.
Ingredients
Directions
Tomatoes should be peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped.
** Spice mixture should be made up of thyme, oregano, and savory to *** Bouquet Garni should be made up of parsley, bay leaf, and a strip Brown the vegetables in the oil or melted butter.
Remove the vegetables and raise the heat to sear the meat on both sides (do not pierce with fork when turning) in the pot.
Put the browned vegetables with the olives and chopped tomatoes in th bottom of a casserole or stock pot.
Place the beef on top. Pour stock and/or red wine to cover.
Add bouquet garni.
Cover and place in moderate oven for about 2 hours or until the meat is tender.
Check during the last hour and add liquid if needed.
Remove the meat and vegetables to a warm platter.
Strain juices through a coarse sieve, forcing through as much vegetable pulp as possible.
This gravy should not need any additional thickening.
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