Garlic Roast Beef
My husband's Aunt Enza played an important role in my life as a born-again Tuscan. We often dined at her home on Sundays for a traditional family lunch, prefaced by Enza's statement that she hadn't prepared anything. This meant that there was nothing new on the table and that we were in for our usual treat of a Florentine meal. The main course was usually what Enza calls magro, literally lean or fatless, a choice cut of beef used for roast beef, sliced thin, lightly sauced with meat juices, topped with whole brown cloves of garlic. Because Italian home cooks in cities rarely had ovens until the postwar period, meats were often cooked on top of the stove, as is Enza's. It's faster than oven-roasting and a perfect technique for people who love rare "roast" beef. Turning the meat is the hardest part.
Enza's 10-Clove Magro
Makes 6-8 servings
2 pounds beef loin roast at room temperature
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 bay leaf
10 garlic cloves, peeled
Sea salt
Rub the beef with freshly ground pepper, and place in a heavy-bottomed pot large enough to hold the meat. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil over the meat and turn the meat over to coat with the oil. Add the bay leaf and garlic cloves and marinate for 15 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf. Brown the meat over medium-high heat, turning to brown evenly. This step will take about 15-30 minutes, depending on the size of the roast. When the garlic begins to color remove it with a slotted spoon.
When the roast is well browned on all sides and ends return the browned garlic to the pot, remove the pot from the heat, and cover. Let the meat rest for 15-20 minutes. The internal temperature will be 140 degrees. Season the pan juices with salt after meat has rested.
Cut the meat into thin slices, sprinkle with salt, and serve with the garlic and pan juices.
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