Roast beef in water

lolly5648

We went to dinner with friends and had very moist roast beef. She said she roasted it in water. I couldn't really ask for details so wondered if anyone can help.

Surely if you put it in water it will boil or steam it? This definitely tasted roasted.

Olliebeak

Maybe she put water in the bottom of the roasting dish with the meat on a trivet to keep it clear of the water. That way, the steam would, perhaps, keep the joint moist but the roasting would still brown the outside of it . Somebody who knows a bit more about the 'science of cookery' might have a better idea.

jessicamb

I found a tip on here ages ago and it makes the best roast beef ever.

If your joint is one of the leaner cuts - silverside/topside etc without much fat on the outside of it add a small amount of water - maybe 1cm- to the bottom of the dish when roasting along with an onion, beef dripping and a small amount of mustard.

Supposed to stop it drying out.

MrsMW

I always roast the lean cuts of beef in tinfoil. I pour over a small amount of water and a good dash of vinegar. Remove the foil and drain off the liquid for gravy about 30 mins before it's done.

jackieb

When I do my roast beef I put it in a little water in my slow cooker and rest the joint on a couple of carrots.

thriftlady_2

No, you can't 'roast' anything in water just like you can't roast meat in a slow cooker. You can of course cook a roasting joint in water or a slow cooker. What you are doing is braising or pot-roasting.

moanymoany

It sounds as if she potroasts the meat. If you google potroast, you will find hundreds of recipes.

Kadeeae

Potroast is what my mum always called it.

She would "potroast" most any sort of beef roasty bit. The cheaper cuts because if made them more tender and a more pricey cut because of the lack of fat.

On the hob in a tightly covered pan, water about halfway up the side of the beef and bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for about an hour/hour and a half (depends on size I suppose) then into the oven to finish it off.

Her (pot) roast beef was absolutely to die for!

Penelope_Penguin

lolly5648 wrote: »

We went to dinner with friends and had very moist roast beef. She said she roasted it in water. I couldn't really ask for details so wondered if anyone can help.

Surely if you put it in water it will boil or steam it? This definitely tasted roasted.

As thriftlady says, *roasting* is cooking in dry heat. If it's cooked in water, that ain't roasting We call it *pot roast* and it's a lovely way of cooking silverside or brisket. It leaves the meat very tender, and full of flavour (especially for meat from supermarkets, which often hasn't been hung long enough, if at all). DH browns the meat all over, then adds big chunks of vegetables (carrot, celery, shallots, whole garlic cloves) and water or stock. He then cooks at gas 3 for about 60mins/kg.

Why can't you ask for details - most cooks I know are delighted to share recipes and cooking tips.

HTH, Penny. x

lolly5648

Thanks for all the replies. The meat definitely wasn't pot-roasted - it had a the normal crusty exterior and texture of a traditional roast. I suspect it was done as Jessiecamb says with about lcm of water and lots of onion with the beef sitting on it.

I can't ask as we were staying with friends and it was their friends who invited us and I am not really in contact with them.

Poet_2

lolly5648 wrote: »

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I can't ask as we were staying with friends and it was their friends who invited us and I am not really in contact with them.

ask your friends to ask their friends and when their friends tell your friends, your friends can tell you. Confused? You will be!

I'd not only have asked, I'd have asked her to write it down!