SANDWICH ESSENTIALS: DELI STYLE COLD ROAST BEEF

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. THE ROAST My primary purpose for this roast is to make cold roast beef sandwiches, so we want a roast that does not have a lot of fat. On the other hand, a roast served hot needs plenty of marbling so that the fat melts and bastes the meat. Roast beef sandwiches work better made from a leaner cut. For this recipe, I decided to go with a top round. It is economical, and has just the right ratio of fat-to-beef, to pull off a good cold beef sandwich. Another thing is that you do not want a cut of beef that is so tender it falls apart. And a top round has just enough of a "bite" to keep it together.
• 3. Gather your Ingredients (mise en place).
• 4. Add the spices together in a small bowl.
• 5. Cover the beef with the spices, then cover in cling wrap, or place into a Ziploc bag.
• 6. Place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours or, ideally, overnight.
• 7. Lay a piece of aluminum foil down, and then cover with a piece of parchment paper. Remove the roast from the fridge, and allow to rest for one hour.
• 8. Place a rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 325f (165c).
• 9. Wrap up the roast in the parchment and foil.
• 10. Place into the oven, and bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 125f - 130f (50c - 55c), for a perfect medium rare, about 70 - 90 minutes.
• 11. Leave the roast wrapped, and allow it to cool down to room temp.
• 12. Place in the refrigerator for several hours (still wrapped), until completely cooled down.
• 13. Remove from the fridge, unwrap, and slice against the grain, as thin as possible.
• 14. Chef's Note: If you do not have a meat slicer, then get the sharpest knife you have in your kit, and use slow long strokes to make thin slices.
• 15. PLATE/PRESENT
• 16. Serve on crusty bread with a smear of spicy mayo, and some brown mustard. Enjoy.
• 17. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.