I first met Pete’s grandmother when I was nineteen years old.
It was a scary moment – Pete had forewarned me that his father’s mother was the family matriarch, and ruled with an iron fist. She also had, I was told, a dim and fairly old-fashioned view about Asians taking over the country.
Lunch was just the three of us, and a couple of hours in, she pulled me aside and told me how outgoing Peter was in my company, and how pleased she was that I’d made him wear his suit jacket for the visit. By the end of the day, we were firm friends, and remained so until she died.
Grandma was incredibly sharp well into her later years – at eighty she was still punting on the stock market and swimming daily laps in her pool. She also baked amazing roast dinners. I once asked her how it was done, and I still smile when I remember her instructions:
“When I was younger, ” she said, “I had one of those automatic ovens, which was quite new at the time. I would prepare the roast – preferably a bolar blade – and set the timer on the oven. Then I would go sailing for the day, and when I came home, the roast would be ready.”
In actual fact, her rules for success were quite simple. She would roast the meat for hours and hours (there was no such things as “rare” in Grandma’s house), then rest it in a warming oven for as long as possible prior to serving. She was also adamant that the meat should never be poked or skewered until ready for carving, or the precious juices would be lost.
. . . . .
Recently, we defrosted a 1.75kg slab of Cape Grim Scotch to roast for dinner. At 2pm, we rubbed the meat with olive oil, salt and pepper, then browned it in a hot pan.
It was placed in our 24cm Emile Henry Flame casserole pot with a cup of water and the deglazed juices from the frying pan. The pot was covered, and baked in a 150C fan-forced oven for three and a half hours, during which time I went sailing. (Ok, no I didn’t. But does surfing the net count?)
At about 5.30pm, we poured off the liquid (which was used for gravy) and returned the covered pot to the oven for a further 30 minutes. (As you might have guessed, we were figuring this out on the fly, so I’m writing it down before we forget!)
After the four hour baking time, the covered pot was placed on an insulated trivet and allowed to rest for a further hour while we prepared the boiled new potatoes, roasted beets, gravy and coleslaw. The clay pot kept the meat beautifully warm as it rested.
It was without doubt the best roast we’d ever made – so tender that it shredded when we tried to carve it. The flavour from the slow cooked grassfed beef was astonishingly rich.
As we were eating dinner, Pete said, “you know what, babe? Grandma would have been proud.”
I’d like to think that’s true!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
I firmly believe in not poking the meat. A friend almost lost her hand when i caught her trying to poke my roast…I like mine rare..but yours looks wonderful. What lovely memories of a great and strong woman…
Norma, you made me laugh! I can just imagine you turning on your friend like a tiger as she approached your roast with a skewer.. :D
Just driving home I checked my iPhone and your post made me smile! I read it to Phil who is driving now….
Beautiful post! I know Grandma would be overly proud!
I hope so, Sally! She was a grand old lady. x
What a wonderful woman Pete’s grandma was.. imagine swimming laps at her age! I need to get doing that, maybe that’s the secret to a long life! Her failproof recipe looks fantastic and, of course, starting with the cut of beef you had.. wonderful!! That’s one of the highest compliments from Pete, I think! xx
Smidge, she even contemplated getting a wetsuit when she was 80, so that she could keep swimming in winter! She was amazing, and I adored her. :)
I’m so glad you were appreciated and loved by Pete’s Grandma- generational love is such a gift!
And your roast is beautiful- that is the way I make roasts- long cooking and resting times- and NO poking! :)
Thanks for the story with the recipe, Celia! Those are my favorite recipes!
Heidi, Pete grew up spending lots of time with his country relatives, and we will eat rare steaks, but all roasts are long and slow cooked, whether they’re beef, lamb or pork. Nice to know it’s how you cook them as well! xx
Celia, that looks great. I don’t think that generation had heard of the word ‘rare’.
Glenda, I still can’t get a rare roast past Pete, he’s just not a fan, although I do like rare roast beef sandwiches and sometimes contemplate cooking a piece just for those. Interestingly, we eat our steaks quite rare!
Maus is like Pete’s grandma, everything has to be well done. It is how her mum did it:) I am slowly converting her.
Fabulous post Celia – lovely memories – and yes surfing the net counts! Ha ha – laughed at that bit.
Sally, I used to tell her that if I ever wrote a cookbook, I was going to start it with her story about sailing while the roast cooked. She was dead serious about it too! :)
How wonderful, the meal and the memory :)
Thanks Tandy! It was really delish!
That roast beef looks amazing! I bet any leftovers will make tasty sandwiches with your mayo & sourdough ;)
Emilie, the leftovers actually became a pie the following night! The boys loved it!
While I love meat rare, roast beef is a great exception to that rule. This looks just wonderful and what a great legacy too.
Greg, Pete likes all his roasts slow cooked and falling apart, but we love our steaks quite bloody! And thank you – it was really nice to eat it and remember Grandma.. :)
Now that was some high praise Pete offered! I bet you beamed when you heard that, and rightly so! His Grandmother sounds like she was quite a character. Swimming laps at 80? That’s remarkable! Love her cooking instructions. And yes, Celia, surfing the net counts. :)
John, I seem to be drawn to tough old ladies, I love all the character and wisdom they bring, and their no-nonsense views of the world! :)
I love that food and memories go hand in hand :) I’ve taken to roasting meat slowly as well. Yesterday did pork loin in the Chasseur for 4 hours @ 140 c over an aromatic bath (ginger, allspice, mustard powder, honey), then rested an hour in the reduced bath. I also grew up with non rare roast beef, and I think the Scotch would be better cooked through anyway. When the G.O. sees that photo he will die of envy & wanting it, and so I will be trying your recipe & accompaniments ASAP… mmmmmmmmmmm
ED, sounds like we’re cooking our meat in a very similar way – your pork loin sounds divine!!
The G.O. said the same re your roast beef! He also said his grandmother always fully cooked roast beef (& all meat) and never opened the oven door once it was in, partly due to the wood fire and because that’s the way it was done, and everyone knew not to touch it :)
What a lovely story. I can’t believe she could put a roast on and go out for the day! I’m sure there’s a law against that these days. It would be great to come home from a day on the water to find a wonderful roast waiting for you though. I might try this with some bolar blade and see how we go. Roast looks delicious, Celia xx
Hehehe…yes, could you imagine doing that now? Someone would surely get food poisoning! ;-) Thanks for trying out the blade roast, Charlie, what did you think? It looked fabulous!
What a heartwarming post. Grandma sounds like quite a character, bet Pete was pleased that you and Grandma were firm friends. Must try your roast beef method.
Norma, we really were great friends. She scared all her grandchildren a little, but she was always so very kind to me, I really do miss her.
What a lovely story Celia, I bet you were thinking of her the whole time. It looks mouthwateringly good and so tender.
Claire, thank you, we actually had a lovely conversation about her over dinner. It’s interesting how linked food and memories can be! The roast was incredibly tender!
I often put a roast on for the day when I have the slow combustion cooker going in the winter. I cook it in the hot oven for about 45 minutes, then bung it down into the slow oven and leave it for 4-5 hours. There’s nothing quite like that fall-apart texture of the meat after a long, slow cook is there Celia? Actually, thinking about it, there’s no reason it wouldn’t work in the slow cooker after a quick blast in a hot oven. Might try that this summer!
Amanda, that’s a very good idea, it’s a shame I gave my slow cooker away! :) It would certainly be a more economical option. We don’t do pot roasts here very often, but I sometimes wonder if they shouldn’t make a come back. Maybe that’s what I’ll try next! :)
Grandma sounds like a hoot! :) In my house there is no such thing as rare either, we all like our meat well done and, if it’s rested, it isn’t dry at all. The current fashion for rare pork, fish and chicken makes me shudder. Nice tips on the roast, thanks Celia.
Rose, she really was! We don’t like rare roasts, but we don’t mind rare food – our steaks are often quite rare, and we’ll happily eat raw fish! You’re right about the resting too – it makes such a difference!
Dear Celia,
I have never tried roasting beef in my casserole pot before but I have done Malaysian style char siew in it and it’s a lot better because the meat is still moist and fatty. I can imagine Pete’s grandma in her sailing gear whilst dreaming of that roast in her oven LOL.
Chopinand, that’s a great image, I could just see her now! ;-) We do a lot of clay pot cooking of late – have you discovered the Emile Henry range? We’ve now replaced all our cast iron pots with them, and I find them quite reminiscent of my mother’s old sandpots.. :)
Here’s a couple of posts I wrote about them a little while back:
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2011/07/29/emile-henry/
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2011/10/24/emile-henry-risotto-pot/
They’re often on sale at Victoria’s Basement stores.
I like beef done to any doneness as long as it’s well cooked. Grandma’s beef would be brilliant on my table. A beautiful story, Celia.
Maureen, thank you! I reckon you’d have liked Grandma! :)
Hi Celia what is Cape Grim Scotch? Is it something like Wagyu Beef?
Hi Granny, sorry, I meant to put a link in the post but forgot – I’ve rectified that now! The Cape Grim is regarded by many as our best Aussie beef – it’s from pasture fed, hormone-free cattle raised in Cape Grim, Tasmania which boasts the cleanest air in the world. The beef is amazingly flavoursome and tender. It’s also very expensive, but we picked up a piece at wholesale prices at Flemington Markets a little while back.
As you might have guessed, I was very keen not to mess up the roast! :D
http://www.capegrimbeef.com.au/
I don’t think the terms ‘rare and raw’ were in much use when it came to any kinds of food in that era.
I reckon Pete’s Grandma would loved it too.
Brydie, thank you! I think they’d have rolled their eyes at our tendency to eat things raw these days! :)
I’m glad that she was shrewd enough to like you from the very beginning! ;)
You are very kind, thanks darling. x
What a beautiful memory Celia and how lovely for Pete to say that Grandma would be proud.
:-) Mandy xo
Yes, he’s a sweetie, isn’t he? Thanks Mandy xx
Aah, formidable grandma! That rocks!
When I read “during which time I went sailing. (Ok, no I didn’t. But does surfing the net count?)” I was saying in my head “wait, you went saili… oh, no, haaa!” You totally got me!
:-P
Hehehe…bazinga! :D She was really cool, Kavey, you’d have loved her! On that first visit, there were kids in the field opposite her house riding around on trail bikes and creating a real racket. Grandma looked over and said, in no uncertain terms, “I hope they break their necks”. I roared with laughter – any lingering notion that she might secretly be a sweet old lady went flying out the window! :)
makes me hungry now :) seems so delicious. Thank you dear Celia, love, nia
Thanks Nia, it was sooo good! There was silence at the table as everyone just ate and ate. :)
What a groovy Grandma. The roast looks pretty good too.
Thanks Jo! She really was fantastic!
I think Pete is right…grandma would definitely be proud of your preparation of the tender roast beef.
Thanks Karen! Hope you’ve been having fun – I’ve been unwell and have missed a couple of your posts, going to do some catch up reading now! :)
So sorry to hear that you are not well…please take care and I hope you are better very soon.
Thanks Karen, on the mend now! :)
I do roast beef in the crock pot all the time but never in the oven. I’ll have to try it. Your gran-in-law sounds awesome… and of course she would approve of you because you’re awesome too.
Hugs from Maz.
You are so sweet love, thank you! x
(pout) I just had a left over sausage for lunch…but I ate it looking at your roast beef so it tasted great.
Cosmo, I wish you lived in Sydney, we would have so much fun! :)
Pete’s Grandma’s recipe really couldn’t be simpler could it – place in oven, go and thoroughly enjoy yourself for a day, come home, remove from oven and get on with it! My Paternal Grandmother was a quiet, gentle but quite strong woman from whose kitchen good smells and good food came, I so much wish I had been old enough at the time to be aware of what and how she cooked – a lot of it was home grown (including the chickens) and, of course, seasonal eating was the way of life. I found your post on eggs really useful, for me the warnings around eating raw eggs have been a bit puzzling because like many of us I used to make and keep mayonnaise quite often – but I take note of what you say about the risk and will be very respectful of raw egg from now on. I’m glad you have got rid of your throat bug – I love ginger tea (and your thermos); I’ve also found chicken soup with the works (garlic, ginger, chilli, turmeric, leeks, onion, lemon) to be pretty good.
Thanks Jan! Re the eggs, I think there is a distinction between how long an egg will keep for without going off, and how long it will keep for without the risk of salmonella increasing exponentially. I’ve now known half a dozen people who’ve had salmonella poisoning, so I’m quite wary!
what a lovely story – about pete’s grandma’s roast and yours. it’s wonderful to continue cooking traditions – keep the connections going.
Thanks E! I like cooking anything that brings back happy memories! :)
What a lovely story Celia, I’m sure Pete’s gandmother couldn’t help falling in love with you once she saw how happy you made him :) This is a lovely recipe, and has just given me inspiration for my dinner which will be a couple of kilos of pork neck cooked in a similar manner. Wednesday dinner is always late and has to sit for a while as we juggle lots of commitments with people rushing in at odd hours starving hungry and wanting to eat RIGHT NOW! This will be perfect – thanks sweetie!
Thanks darling! I’m sure your pork neck will be amazing – one of our favourite cuts too!
I like the sound of Grandma…she sounds funny! That roast beef of yours looks wonderful (how do you deglaze a pan – yes a real “newbie cook” question).
Mel, toss a little water into the hot pan and swirl and scrape off the stuck cooked bits and juices! :)
Lovely memories of what sounds like an astonishing woman! I love the look of the roast, and I totally agree that slow cooking is simply the best. I like the casserole pot!
Zirkie, I’m completely besotted with the Emile Henry pots! They’re just fabulous! And Grandma really was a wonderful woman.. :)
Celia, I just left a comment but I think it is going into spam, for some or the other reason – if it did go there, will you please let me know?
Zirkie, I’ve had a couple of your comments go to spam, but I’ve pull them out again. :)
What a beautiful story about Pete’s grandma and a gorgeous looking roast! You’ve finally been able to convince me to purchase the Emile Henry pot, just have to find a space in the kitchen cabinet now 8).
Soy, it’s only little, I’m sure there’s plenty of room…right Honey? :D
Thank you thank you for tell us all about the casserole pots on sale at Victorias basement. I just bought one cant wait for it arrive and start cooking in it.
I love your blog.
Sam
Sam, that’s great! Hope you love your pot as much as I do – we find them really versatile, and being able to stick them in the dishwasher is just icing on the cake. :)
I am so pleased that you and plenty of your readers cook your roasts slowly, I thought I was an endangered species! I do mine in the slow cooker as you don’t lose any of the juices and the gravies are just awesome. Like you we enjoy a pink steak, but neither of us can handle pink duck???
Sue, isn’t it funny? I’m not sure why that is in our family either, but we love a bloodied steak, but only well done roasts. Not a big fan of pink duck either..ugh..
oh this is spot on Celia – my roast is about to go into the oven in my cold Romertopf…..Thank you.
Sounds fabulous Oz, we’ve had great results with the Romertopf too! :)