How To Cook Roast Beef

If you love the rich flavor of beef, you may want to know how to cook roast beef. This classic dish is great to serve company or a family, as it usually makes enough for quite a few people. This is a basic recipe, with roast vegetables and gravy to complete the meal. It's great served with a salad and red wine.

You'll need:

• 3 to 4 lbs. rump roast (make sure it has lots of marbling)
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced in half
• olive or cooking oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 potatoes, chopped
• 6 carrots, chopped
• 1 lb. mushrooms
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1-2 cups beef stock or water
• 1-2 tbsp. corn starch

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Prepare the roast by stabbing six holes into the meat and inserting garlic cloves. Rub the roast with oil and a decent amount of salt and pepper.
   
3. Place the meat into a large roasting pan. Prepare your vegetables by cleaning, peeling, and chopping into 2 inch chunks. Add them to the pan, surrounding the roast. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
4. Place the pan in the middle of the oven. Cook for about 3 hours. If the roast is getting too brown, lower the heat to 300. Check the meat for tenderness periodically after 2/12 hours. It should pull away easily with a fork when it's ready. The temperature inside the meat should reach 140-160 depending on desired doneness.
5. Remove it from the oven, and place vegetables in a serving dish. Set the roast on a serving plate and cover with foil. Scrape and pour the juices from the pan into a small saucepan.
6. Begin the gravy by adding a cup or two of water or beef stock. Mix cornstarch with about 1/2 cup of water until milky and smooth. Heat the drippings and broth to a boil, and add the cornstarch mixture slowly while stirring. Turn down to a simmer, and stir until desired thickness is reached. Add more cornstarch mixture if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the roast sliced, with vegetables and gravy.