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The potatoes in the pictures of this recipe looked soooo good that I thought Brian might enjoy them if I cooked them like this. The November/December Cook's Illustrated had a recipe for this totally made in the oven with a larger roast that served 8 to 10 but online, they had another recipe like it using a smaller roast in a skillet that serves 4 to 6 so I copied that one. I put CI's blurb, too, after the title because it's what they did in a nutshell to make such wonderful potatoes...
Skillet Beef Top Loin Roast with Potatoes
Serves 4 to 6. Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, November 2018
Total Time: 2¼ hours, plus 6 to 24 hours salting
To create a juicy, tender roast and creamy, beefy-tasting potatoes, we started with a top loin roast and trimmed the thick ribbons of fat that run along its sides. Browning the trimmings along with the roast yielded loads of rendered fat (and flavorful fond), which we then used to brown the potatoes. From there, we covered the potatoes with aluminum foil, which trapped steam that helped them cook through and allowed us to roast the beef on top of them (poking holes in the foil let juices drip through). While the cooked roast rested, we flipped the potatoes cut side up; added broth that we fortified with flavor by simmering it with the seared beef scraps, herbs, seasonings, and gelatin for unctuous body; and braised them in a 500-degree oven—our version of the old-school French classic called fondant potatoes. Finally, we strained and defatted the remaining broth to serve as a jus alongside the meat and potatoes.
3 lb. boneless top loin roast (a/k/a strip roast)
4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon pepper, divided
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes,* peeled
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2-1/2 cups beef broth
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 small sprig fresh rosemary
1 Tablespoon unflavored gelatin
2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled
*Use potatoes that are about 1-1/2 inches in diameter and at least 4 inches long. The browned surfaces of the potatoes are very delicate; take care when flipping the potatoes in step 7. To make flipping easier, flip two potatoes and remove them from the skillet to create space before flipping the rest.
1. Pat roast dry with paper towels. Place roast fat cap side down and trim off strip of meat that is loosely attached to thicker side of roast. Rotate roast 180 degrees and trim off strip of meat and fat from narrow side of roast. (After trimming, roast should be rectangular with roughly even thickness.) Cut trimmings into 1-inch pieces. Transfer trimmings to small bowl, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
2. Using sharp knife, cut slits 1/2-inch apart and 1/4-inch deep in crosshatch pattern in fat cap of roast. Sprinkle all sides of roast evenly with 1 Tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours.
3. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Trim and discard 1/4 inch from end of each potato. Cut each potato in half crosswise. Toss potatoes with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper and set aside.
4. Place oil in 12-inch oven-safe skillet. Place roast, fat cap side down, in center of skillet and scatter trimmings around roast. Cook over medium heat, stirring trimmings frequently but not moving roast, until fat cap is well browned, 6 to 10 minutes. Flip roast and continue to cook, stirring trimmings frequently, until bottom of roast is lightly browned and trimmings are rendered and crisp, 3 to 6 minutes longer. Remove skillet from heat and transfer roast to plate. Using slotted spoon, transfer trimmings to small saucepan, leaving fat in skillet.
5. Arrange potatoes in single layer, broad side down, in skillet. Return skillet to medium heat and cook, without moving potatoes, until well browned around edges, 5 to 8 minutes. (Do not flip potatoes.) Off heat, lay 12-inch square of aluminum foil over potatoes. Using oven mitts, crimp edges of foil to rim of skillet. With paring knife, poke 5 holes in center of foil. Lay roast, fat side up, in center of foil. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until meat registers 115°F, 45 to 55 minutes.
6. While roast cooks, add broth, thyme sprigs, rosemary sprig, gelatin, and garlic to saucepan with trimmings. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain liquid through fine-mesh strainer into 2-cup liquid measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. (You should have 2 cups liquid; if necessary, add water to equal 2 cups.)
7. When meat registers 115°F, remove skillet from oven and increase oven temperature to 500°F. Transfer roast to carving board. Remove foil and use to tent roast. Using offset spatula, carefully flip potatoes. Pour strained liquid around potatoes and return skillet (handle will be hot) to oven (it's OK if oven has not yet reached 500°F). Cook until liquid is reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Carefully transfer potatoes to serving platter. Pour liquid into fat separator and let settle for 5 minutes. Slice roast and transfer to platter with potatoes. Transfer defatted juices to small bowl. Serve, passing juices separately.
Here's a picture of the potatoes that made we want to try this method.
Skillet Beef Top Loin Roast with Potatoes
Serves 4 to 6. Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, November 2018
Total Time: 2¼ hours, plus 6 to 24 hours salting
To create a juicy, tender roast and creamy, beefy-tasting potatoes, we started with a top loin roast and trimmed the thick ribbons of fat that run along its sides. Browning the trimmings along with the roast yielded loads of rendered fat (and flavorful fond), which we then used to brown the potatoes. From there, we covered the potatoes with aluminum foil, which trapped steam that helped them cook through and allowed us to roast the beef on top of them (poking holes in the foil let juices drip through). While the cooked roast rested, we flipped the potatoes cut side up; added broth that we fortified with flavor by simmering it with the seared beef scraps, herbs, seasonings, and gelatin for unctuous body; and braised them in a 500-degree oven—our version of the old-school French classic called fondant potatoes. Finally, we strained and defatted the remaining broth to serve as a jus alongside the meat and potatoes.
3 lb. boneless top loin roast (a/k/a strip roast)
4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon pepper, divided
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes,* peeled
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2-1/2 cups beef broth
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 small sprig fresh rosemary
1 Tablespoon unflavored gelatin
2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled
*Use potatoes that are about 1-1/2 inches in diameter and at least 4 inches long. The browned surfaces of the potatoes are very delicate; take care when flipping the potatoes in step 7. To make flipping easier, flip two potatoes and remove them from the skillet to create space before flipping the rest.
1. Pat roast dry with paper towels. Place roast fat cap side down and trim off strip of meat that is loosely attached to thicker side of roast. Rotate roast 180 degrees and trim off strip of meat and fat from narrow side of roast. (After trimming, roast should be rectangular with roughly even thickness.) Cut trimmings into 1-inch pieces. Transfer trimmings to small bowl, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
2. Using sharp knife, cut slits 1/2-inch apart and 1/4-inch deep in crosshatch pattern in fat cap of roast. Sprinkle all sides of roast evenly with 1 Tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours.
3. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Trim and discard 1/4 inch from end of each potato. Cut each potato in half crosswise. Toss potatoes with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper and set aside.
4. Place oil in 12-inch oven-safe skillet. Place roast, fat cap side down, in center of skillet and scatter trimmings around roast. Cook over medium heat, stirring trimmings frequently but not moving roast, until fat cap is well browned, 6 to 10 minutes. Flip roast and continue to cook, stirring trimmings frequently, until bottom of roast is lightly browned and trimmings are rendered and crisp, 3 to 6 minutes longer. Remove skillet from heat and transfer roast to plate. Using slotted spoon, transfer trimmings to small saucepan, leaving fat in skillet.
5. Arrange potatoes in single layer, broad side down, in skillet. Return skillet to medium heat and cook, without moving potatoes, until well browned around edges, 5 to 8 minutes. (Do not flip potatoes.) Off heat, lay 12-inch square of aluminum foil over potatoes. Using oven mitts, crimp edges of foil to rim of skillet. With paring knife, poke 5 holes in center of foil. Lay roast, fat side up, in center of foil. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until meat registers 115°F, 45 to 55 minutes.
6. While roast cooks, add broth, thyme sprigs, rosemary sprig, gelatin, and garlic to saucepan with trimmings. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain liquid through fine-mesh strainer into 2-cup liquid measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. (You should have 2 cups liquid; if necessary, add water to equal 2 cups.)
7. When meat registers 115°F, remove skillet from oven and increase oven temperature to 500°F. Transfer roast to carving board. Remove foil and use to tent roast. Using offset spatula, carefully flip potatoes. Pour strained liquid around potatoes and return skillet (handle will be hot) to oven (it's OK if oven has not yet reached 500°F). Cook until liquid is reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Carefully transfer potatoes to serving platter. Pour liquid into fat separator and let settle for 5 minutes. Slice roast and transfer to platter with potatoes. Transfer defatted juices to small bowl. Serve, passing juices separately.
Here's a picture of the potatoes that made we want to try this method.