The cold wind picks up the light snow on the ground, throwing it around in a brutal whirlwind of pin pricking shards of snow. Jack Frost is quite literally nipping at your nose, leaving it numb and stiff. Your ears are bright red due to the cold of a mid winter night, despite the protection of your warm winter toque. You put your arms out in front of you and trek forwards, you’ll make it home on time. You always do. Your legs struggle to move you forward as your torso is being pushed by the winds like the mighty sail of Queen Anne’s Revenge. The streets grow more and more familiar as you move forwards, you now pass the houses of some of your closest friends. Their lights are on, their fires are roaring, and you just know that they are warm and happy. Despite all of that, you keep on moving. You keep moving forwards. Eventually you catch a glimpse of those familiar Christmas lights hanging on your tree, you see your driveway, full of snow despite this morning's shovel. You see home. The steps are covered in ice and threaten to take you down but you persevere, eventually making it onto your front porch. You hastily shut the door behind you to prevent the cold winter winds from finding the rest of your family.
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You’re cold, you’re tired, you’re… you- What’s that smell? No, not just one smell, an amalgamation of smells start to attack your bright red nose. A grin slowly appears on your face as you make the realization. It's Sunday. That means that you have a warm roast waiting for you on the table. Suddenly life doesn't seem all that bad.
This meal is just so warm. It makes you feel warm. It makes you feel like maybe you aren't all alone in things. It just makes you feel like life isn't all that bad. I bet that’s why my dads grandmother would make this for his family every sunday. My great grandmother seemed like a great person. I was only in her presence a handful of times as a young boy and don’t remember much from those years, but I do remember that she was great. I have faint memories of her great smile, memories of her sitting in her pale yellow armchair watching over everyone, and what I don’t remember, my dad does. He remembers the warm things, like the warm meals, and that warm feeling of togetherness that you can only get around the dinner table surrounded by great foods and people you love. That’s what this meal is all about. |
Ingredients:
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The meat - Get your sirloin tip cut and rub it with your spices, massage in your salt, pepper and garlic powder after covering it with a thin coat of vegetable oil. Grab your onion and quarter it, place these quarters on your sheet pan (must be large enough to comfortably fit your steak), then place your steak so it rests on these pieces of onions. This is to ensure an even cook on the whole steak. Place in the oven at 450° for 15 mins to brown it up and then place at 325° for an hour. Internal temp of 130°. When done take out and let rest for 30 minutes before cutting.
Mashed Potatoes - Start with 6 similarly sized potatoes. Peel the potatoes and eliminate any imperfections, retaining as much of the flesh as possible. Place the potatoes in a pot of cold water and place on medium high heat. Cook until the potatoes can be easily impaled with a fork. Take off heat and drain water from the pot. Combine a cup of milk and two tablespoons of butter, heat in the microwave. Mash the potatoes while adding mixture of butter and milk, keep adding until potatoes are the desired consistency. The gravy - The gravy will be made with the juices from our now resting steak, half a bottle of beer, and any leftover residue from your sheet pan. Place on medium heat for 15 minutes. Create a flour/cold water mixture and add to your gravy until it’s at your desired consistency. Keep on heat for 7 more minutes. Strain. Serve. The Veggies - We have carrots and broccoli. Add water to a pot until the surface is fully covered. Put in all of your broccoli and put on low heat until it reaches your desired texture. Check these often to avoid them becoming mushy and yellow. The carrots should be lightly seasoned with salt before being placed in enough water to cover the surface of the pan and then cover. Keep on low heat. Occasionally monitor the water level in the pan to ensure a proper cook, if early on you check under the lid and the water has been fully evaporated feel free to add more. Yorkshire pudding: Combine equal parts flour, egg and milk (1 cup recommended), insert muffin tray into the oven at max heat with oil in the muffin molds just to cover the surface. Take out after the oil is sufficiently hot and quickly fill each mold 3/4ths full with your mixture. Return it to the oven. Put in for 15 minutes but watch actively. Feel free to take it out early if it has risen adequately. Feel free to leave it in longer if they have not risen adequately. Everything should be prepared while the meat is cooking and made while the meat is resting. |