What does one do while waiting out (snug and safe at home) the third-largest snow storm in Chicago’s recorded history?
I opted to cube some aging French bread and toss with olive oil, herbs, and a bit o’ Worcestershire (my secret ingredient), toast it slowly in the oven, stash it away to become bread crumbs for a project I’m working on, and then toss a fresh loaf of French bread together.
Of course, then there was still dinner to think about.
Well before this latest storm started, our local market had a buy 1, get one FREE! special on sirloin tip roasts that I could not resist. Now, here I was, snowed in, roast in hand, so to speak (the other is safely stashed in the downstairs freezer).
Quick! To da Google!
I found several interesting options – ermmm, including ONE that called for two roasting pans, specialized rubber clothing, and a rack(!)
I went with something a touch more basic for an approximately three-pound roast from allrecipes.com, though I have changed things up a bit based on all the options I read through.
INGREDIENTS
•1-1/4 tbsp paprika
•1 tbsp kosher salt
•1 tsp garlic powder
•1/2 tsp ground black pepper
•1/2 tsp onion powder
•1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
•1 tsp Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute – or any other salt-free seasoning blend you have on hand or prefer
•2 tbsp olive oil
•1 (~3 lb) sirloin tip roast
•One medium onion, thickly sliced
•Bay leaves
Preheat your oven to 350º. Combine the seasonings and olive oil in a small bowl and let sit for twenty minutes or so.
Line a baking sheet or roasting pan with aluminum foil and arrange the onion slices over the bottom – I used these as a kind of a flavor boosting aromatic rack for the roast to rest on. Place the roast on top of the onions on the prepared baking sheet, and rub the spice mixture well into all sides. Roast, uncovered, for about ninety minutes in the preheated oven, or to a minimum internal temperature of 145º.
Remove from the oven and let rest for twenty to thirty minutes before slicing. A juice, tasty little roast beast.
NOTE: the three bay leaves on top of the roast are an homage to my dad, who believed salt, pepper, and A bay leaf (THREE was CRAZY TALK!) was all one needed for a roast. Well, that and a good, loooong cook, until it was well and truly dead, not to say, errrrm, a tad dusty when sliced.
I took advantage of the lower temperature and long-ish roasting time to toss some Hasselback Potatoes into a separate baking dish next to the roasting pan. These little accordions of starchy goodness went rather nicely with the pinkish roast and the onion slices – now steeped in the spices and juices from the roast.
A bit of broccoli on the side, and you could count us as happy campers.