A Treasured Memory and a Recipe

 

Though today is December 28^th, I’d like to share one of my favorite Christmas memories. I didn’t get to celebrate with my children or grandchildren this year, and I have been thinking of them a lot. This story always makes me smile. I hope you’ll enjoy it too.

One year, our son Dan brought his girlfriend to dinner. We knew they were serious and likely to become engaged soon, but we hadn’t shared a holiday with her.

Festive meals in our house are extravagant and cooking them takes days. One person likes a certain kind of meat. Another wants a fancy potato dish. Someone else loves fresh bread with Irish butter. Everyone expects a great dessert.

Several family members love my method of cooking eye of the round and request it for every family event. (I’ll include the recipe below.)

That night, the menu included the roast, Lyonnaise potatoes with lots of cheese, spinach salad with hot bacon dressing, crescent rolls, and flambé chocolate steamed pudding with cherry brandy sauce.

When everyone arrived dressed in their ugly sweaters and roomy stretch pants, I welcomed them and served Hors d’oeuvres.

They settled down in the living room with their drinks and snacks while I worked on the rest of the spread.

Amanda, my son’s girlfriend, came from a family where food was cooked extra-well-done, and I worried about serving this entree because we eat it rare. However, I planned to give her an outside slice cooked enough to suit her.

I poured Burgundy wine over the beef, baked it a while, turned it over, doused it with more vino, and cooked it a bit longer.

When removed from the oven, the eye of the round was still as red as a Poinsettia.

After the beef rested for 20 minutes, my husband turned his back to the doorway, placed the slab on a tiny carving board, fired up the electric knife, and started cutting.

The blade whirred and whined as it sawed through the meat. Scarlet juices ran from the thin wood plank to the counter and dripped down the cabinets.

I grabbed paper towels and caught some of the drips, but a pool had already formed on the floor. Bending over, I sopped up as much as the wad would hold.

At that moment, Dan walked into the kitchen and yelled, “Amanda, come look at the blood!”

She peeked through the door, her eyes went wide, and all the color drained from her face. She took a deep breath. “Oh my God.”

 “This isn’t blood. It’s Burgundy wine!” I held up the lump of dripping, crimson paper.

Amanda narrowed her eyes and glared at Dan. “You’re not funny.”

He laughed until tears streamed. “You should see your face.”

My husband shrugged, finished slicing, turned off the serrated cutter, hoisted up the platter, and headed to the dining room. “Let’s eat.”

Though Amanda requested the end part of the roast, which was mostly white, and picked at her food, she returned for the next big family get-together.

Fast forward: Dan and Amanda have been married over a decade. They have two awesome daughters, and Amanda asks for my eye of the round every year for Christmas. She even eats some of the pink parts.

 

                                  Dan, Amanda, Amelia, and Abby Smits

Eye of the Round Roast

 Warning: This recipe is for those who like rare meat!

5-6 lb. Eye of Round Roast

¾ C. Flour

Salt, Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder to taste

6-8 strips Bacon

1 C. Burgundy Wine

Preheat oven to 450º

Season flour with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder and mix well.

Rinse roast and pat dry with paper towels.

Roll in seasoned flour to coat.

Place roast in baking pan, layer strips of bacon across top.

Pour ½ C. Burgundy wine over roast.

Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven, slide bacon to the side, turn roast over, and replace bacon on top.

Pour ½ C. Burgundy wine over roast.

Bake uncovered another 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven. Meat will be brown outside and red inside.

Cover with aluminum foil and allow to rest 20 minutes.

Meat will continue to cook as it rests, but you may need to adjust cooking time depending on how rare you want it. Eye of the round loses tenderness with increased cooking, however, and is best served rare.