I’m setting this down because I’ll want to do it again sometime, and it sort of happened by accident.
Scene 1: The second floor of a Midwestern fourplex
Take a nice sirloin tip roast, salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 350°F, and start heating up the cast iron skillet over high heat on the stove-top.
Put olive oil in the skillet to cover, then sear the roast on all sides.
Put the skillet, roast and all, in the oven, uncovered, meat thermometer set for 140°F.
Take some broccoli, cauliflower, a sliced onion, and mushrooms. Put them in a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and red wine vinegar. Mix well.
When the roast reaches 140°F internal temperature, remove it from the oven, but leave the cast-iron skillet with the juices in there.
Put the veggies into the skillet, and let them roast while the meat rests.
Eat.
Fade to black.
Scene 2. Same place, several hours later
Cook up some brown rice, using the leftover stock from yesterday’s chicken soup experience
Cut off some of the roast, and dice it.
Put it into a frying pan with olive oil, minced garlic, and the remains of the vegetable mix.
Heat quickly.
Mix with a really good barbecue sauce.
Eat over rice.
Curtain
Steven, why is it that every time I read one of your books, I end up eating? Shouldn’t you be fatter than you are?
I apologize for the poor wording above. I didn’t mean to imply that you are fat. I am just taking umbrage over all the late night snacks you forced me to consume while reading your insidious books.
No, no–no offense taken. I knew what you meant. And thank you.
I would save this to use if I had a cast iron skillet.
I’m sure a roasting pan would work.
When reading your books, the whole “put stuff in that is cool” usually means swords and sorcery. However, I am now trying to get fit and eat less and my mind has now locked onto Valabar’s as the “cool stuff” in the books. Oh, that Valabar’s really existed! (or, looking at the scale, maybe its better that it doesn’t)
I agree with the post earlier: how are you not 400 pounds? You obviously have a talent for food
My secret is that I eat right, get plenty of exercise, and am ________. (Fill in your favorite Cards Against Humanity answer here)
It sounds wonderful. Am on crutches at present, which rather hampers my cooking, but have saved it for for future delight!
thnidu–I get excellent results with similar cooking and I do not like cast iron skillets (I use ceramic-coated stoneware for my roasting pans). You would just need to sear the meat in a skillet first, then transfer it to your roasting pan.
Food porn.
Then more food porn.
Sword play and magic.
More food porn.
I think a play like this deserves at least one season to itself. Seriously, this is National Theatre-grade business here.
*claps*
It took me a few readings to understand that “Eat.” only referred to the vegetables, not the roast as well. Or at least it didn’t refer to the whole roast, just maybe some.
Also, if I do this in the next month or so, it will be with lamb, not beef.
Jeff: A sirloin tip roast is liable to be 4 lbs or so. Even I can’t go through that much roast in one meal. (I’d have probably been more specific, but I’m mostly recording this one so I’ll remember it, rather than sharing a recipe.)
You didn’t mention how many people were at the table… ;-)
Also, again, “Eat.” is very non-specific both in subject and in duration. :-P
It seems to me that this may be the best venue to ask this question:-) would you be willing to share the recipe for Valabars Mushroom barley soup? If so would you please post it for us hungry readers?
I would, but I no longer have it. If you go on Facebook and make friends with the Jason Jones who is on my friends list and lives in Las Vegas, he may be able to help you.
Thank you I will do that.
About 10 years ago I was in Minneapolis visiting a friend. I was at the grocery store shopping and ran into and recognized you. I remember talking to you about trying to get my wife’s Hungarian grandmothers chicken paprikash recipe “right”. You had a few tips that made it better (never as good as a grandmothers, but then could it ever be).
I don’t remember the tips (though Deborah still enjoys what I cook), what I do remember is your joy in creative gastronomy.