Pink peppercorn and red wine beef

Sunday roast nights were quite the tradition growing up in our house. Isn't it funny how we familiarize ourselves with particular days and associate that day with a special meal we all know and love. Who hasn't made or had Friday fish and chip night or a take-away of some sort. As kids, I think our Friday nights went between pizza to fish and chips with pizza being a bit of a novelty for us kids in the suburbs in the 1980's. But our roast night was most definitely on Sunday. I would often remember B and I cringing at the prospect of this night looming. We did not appreciate how delicious this meal really was and how we would grow to LOVE and even give up that date with Tom Cruise (well maybe a favourite TV show) for this roast night. I remember a very young B describing roasts as "burnt dinner". It wasn't really burnt, but the things kids say right?  It wasn't until I had kids of my own that I now hear the word "burnt", most often when it's not and I now know how Mum felt after slaving away over the roast, only to be told "Ugh, not burnt dinner again!". After all this, I can happily say that B and I now do enjoy a roast with all the trimmings and we even surprise ourselves by having it any night of the week (not just Sundays, Mum!)

This recipe is a roast beef one and I found it in one of my many Donna Hay bibles - issue 33 JUN/JULY 2007. It's a little different from the ordinary roast meat that bakes away in a baking dish. Here the meat sits in a delightful array of juices and flavours that are slowly being absorbed by your meat and what more could I ask for, the gravy was already made once the meat was cooked!!

You will need:
2kg (4 1/2 lb) beef blade cut (my piece only weighed 1.5kg, so just adjust the cooking time depending on how large your piece of meat is)
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt and cracked black pepper
10 eschalots, peeled
300g (10 1/2 oz) Swiss brown mushrooms
1 teaspoon pink peppercorns
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup beef stock
2 cups of red wine

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (355 F). Rub the beef with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the beef with kitchen string to secure. I had Mr M tie the beef for me!

Heat a large heavy based saucepan over high heat ( I used my heavy casserole dish as you will need a lid ). Cook the beef, fat side down, for 3-4 minutes or until well browned. Turn and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the eschalots, mushrooms and peppercorns to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until starting to brown.

Stir in the tomato paste, stock and wine, scraping the bottom of the pan, and bring to boil.

Reduce the heat to low and return the beef to the pan. Cover with a tight fitting lid and cook in the oven for 3 hours or until the beef is tender. (Remember not to over cook it if your piece weighs less than the above)
Carve thick slices of beef and pour over the pan juices.

We had some roast vegies with ours but you could make some yummy mash with yours!

M x