Garlic Roast Beef with Mushroom Gravy

Take a great cut of beef, pack it full of garlic, dump in a bottle of your favorite beer, use the pan juices to make gravy ... and you've got a recipe that even a vampire could love.   The only thing better than the way it tasted was the way it made the house smell .  Beefy.  Garlicky.  Beery.  If I could have eaten the air, I would have.  Best of all, the leftovers can be repurposed into the world's easiest and most delicious beef stew (stay tuned for that recipe later in the week!)



GARLIC ROAST BEEF WITH MUSHROOM GRAVY
Printable version of this recipe


1 (2.5 to 3-lb) eye of round roast  (Note:  I prefer the leaner cuts, but a chuck roast would also work.)
1 head of garlic, with cloves separated, peeled, and halved
1 T brown sugar
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. pepper
2 T olive oil
1 large sweet onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 (10.5 oz) can of condensed beef consomme, undiluted
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T spicy brown mustard
1 bay leaf
1 (12 oz) bottle of your favorite light or nonalcoholic beer (Stick with light or the beer will overwhelm the other flavors.  Amstel Light works nicely.)
A half-pound of mushrooms, sliced
1 t. dried thyme

DIRECTIONS

Prepare the roast by trimming it of any visible fat. Cut small slits in the roast with a sharp knife and stuff a garlic chunk in each one.  Mix together the brown sugar, salt, and pepper and rub over the surface of the roast.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven and brown the roast on all sides.  Remove roast temporarily (I turn the lid upside down and set it there).  Add the consomme, onion, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and bay leaf.  Combine well and replace the roast in the Dutch oven.

Sidebar:  if you need your oven for something else, I have found that this dish can be made in a slow cooker.  Make sure to brown it first for maximum flavor and color.   I have a slow cooker with an adjustable temperature, so I just crank it up to 350 and pretend like it's an oven.  Works just fine. 

Cover and bake roast at 350 degrees until the beef reaches the degree of doneness that you prefer (anywhere from 1-3/4 hours to 2-1/4 hours, depending upon the size of the roast.)  When done, remove the roast to a platter and keep warm.

Meanwhile, toss out the bay leaf and add mushrooms, beer, and thyme to the pan juices, stirring well.  (And while you're at it, open up a second bottle of beer.  Not for the roast, but for you.  You deserve it.)  Bring to a boil and allow the juices to reduce about halfway.  At this point, you need to make a decision:  gravy or au jus?  I prefer au jus, so I stop at this point and serve it as is.  However, if you'd rather have a gravy, mix up a slurry of 3 T cornstarch to 3 T cold water.  Add to pan juices, stirring constantly until thickened. Serve with the roast.

The perfect side dish?  Roasted vegetables (Coming next!)

After dinner is over, plates are empty, and compliments given, be sure to scrape up every single garlic clove, sliver of meat, and drop of gravy.  Save it all for the reincarnation of this roast as a beef stew.

Original recipe from Simple and Delicious by Taste of Home