Roast - when You Want It Extra Special

Let meat stand at room temp for about an hour (if possible).

From the fat side of the roast (rump’s usually have a layer of fat on one side - also known as the top side), cut a slit about halfway through the meat, and insert one clove garlic. Repeat for remaining cloves, spreading out over the roast. For a 2-3 pound roast use 2 cloves garlic, for 3-4 pounds use 3 cloves, etc.

Generously cover all sides of the roast with pepper, salt, and granulated garlic. By the way, when I say generous, I mean really really cover it, almost l like a crust of spice. Hint: fresh ground cracked pepper is best, but any black pepper will work. Peel onion and cut in half. Place onion and celery in bottom of a roasting pan (DO NOT add any liquid - pan and veggies should be dry). Cover with rack.

Place roast on rack, fat side up. Bake at 325 degrees for a half hour per pound. This will bring the meat to medium-rare to medium. If you want it more done, just 5 minutes per pound.

Move meat to a platter and let stand for at least 5 minutes before carving. You can cover it with foil to keep it warm, but that can result in the meat continuing to “cook” a bit, making it a tad more done. It’s important to let it stand, as this helps the juices redistribute.

Gravy.

Place roasting pan on top of stove and add about 2 cups water. Leave the onions and celery in while it heats. Stir a bit, the bits on the bottom of the pan will start to loosen up (this is called deglazing). You can add more water if you need more gravy, just do it a bit at a time, then taste after each addition, making sure it still has a good flavor. Also you’ll probably need to salt it a bit.

If you want thickened gravy, put one tablespoon cornstarch in a small glass and add about ¼ cup water and stir till mixed, then add to the roasting pan. Stir continuously until thickened over medium heat. You’ll notice after first adding cornstarch that the color will lighten - just stir, and continue heating, the gravy will return to a dark color once the cornstarch is fully heated. It takes about five minutes to thicken - most cooks say that any thickening agent (flour, corn starch etc) has not fully thickened until it reaches boiling. I don’t know that I always bring this to a boil, but probably close.