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TRADITIONAL ITALIAN RECIPE: I’ve always had a little bit of trouble with meat in general. Perhaps it had something to do with my childhood and the fact that my mother ( the chef ) would always make a roast on few occasions. It was a nice change of pace from the usual pasta. Succulent, tender and perfectly seasoned, aside from the presents it was my favorite part of the holidays.
The rule of thumb is to bake a roast for 20 minutes per pound, so about an hour for a 3 pound roast. Though I find with my oven, I actually have to bake my roasts at about 25 minutes per pound, just to bring the roast up to the internal temperature of 60C / 140F. BUT, start with 20 minutes per pound, all ovens are not created equal; the last thing you want to do is to overcook your roast!
Remove the roast from the oven when the internal temperature reaches 60C / 140F. Remember as the roast rests, the internal temperature will rise several degrees ( meaning, it’s still cooking even though it isn’t roasting in the oven ).
Why you shouldn't use Kitchen Foil
A recent study has shown that heat causes aluminum from the foil to leach out into foods in significantly harmful amounts.
The researchers found dangerously high levels of aluminum in foods after being cooked, reheated, and even cooled on aluminum foil. The cause for alarm is that when aluminum accumulates in the body, it can lead to osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s.
What’s more, Dr. Zubaidy, one of the study authors, comments that:
“The higher the temperature, the more the leaching. Foil is not suitable for cooking and is not suitable for using with vegetables like tomatoes, citrus juice or spices.”
On the other hand, the researchers also noted that foil can be considered safe to wrap cold foods, since no leaching was observed without heating. They also did not find a difference if the shiny or dull side were in contact with food.
Aluminum Competes With Calcium, Weakening Bones
High aluminum levels in the body alter bone mineralization, matrix formation, as well as parathyroid and bone cell activity. Ironically, one of the most common signs of excessive aluminum accumulation is hypercalcemia or high calcium levels in the blood.
This happens because the presence of aluminum impedes calcium deposition in bone, thus leading to elevated blood calcium levels. As a result, PTH secretion, the hormone secreted by the parathyroid hormone, is greatly depressed. Additionally, chronic aluminum toxicity greatly reduces osteoblast population and inhibits bone mineralization, resulting in osteoporosis.
Mounting Evidence Links Aluminum to Alzheimer’s
While the study is less adamant about the link between aluminum and Alzheimer’s than it is about the osteoporosis connection, it does point to evidence that aluminum is deposited in brain tissue. The researchers note that previous studies have found an aluminum build-up in autopsies performed on Alzheimer’s sufferers.
Protect Your Bones and Your Brain
In view of this, you really should avoid using aluminum foil or aluminum utensils for cooking. So here are a few simple steps you can take right away:
- Never cook, heat up, or place hot food on aluminum foil. Use foil only to store cold food in the refrigerator, or to wrap cold sandwiches. I use tempered glass pans. They are easily available in just about every supermarket or hardware store.
- Avoid storing tomatoes, citrus fruits, or spices in foil.
- Replace foil with wax paper if you wish to store food while still hot. Or use glass food storage containers. I keep a variety of sizes handy in my kitchen.
- Never use aluminum pots or cooking utensils. Instead, invest in stainless steel pots and pans.
Skill Level:  |
Time: 2 Hours |
Price:  |
Serves: 6 People |
Ingredients:
| Conversions |
Directions:
For the Beef:
01 - Bring the Beef to room temperture before you start working on it.
02 - Preheat the oven to 240C / 475F.
For the Herby Sauce:
03 - Finely mince all Leaves and Herbs and add some Salt and Pepper.
04 - In a small bowl, combine the minced Herbs with some Oil and mix well.
For the Vegetables:
05 - While you wait for the oven to warm up, wash and roughly chop the Vegetables. Here, there is no need to peel the anything, just give them a good wash.
06 - Break the Garlic Bulb apart, leaving the Cloves unpeeled.
07 - Pile all the Vegetables, Garlic and Herbs into the middle of a large roasting tray and drizzle with Olive Oil.
08 - Coat with fresh Olive Oil and rub the Herby Sauce all over the Meat.
09 - Use a small knife to stab little holes in the Meat, then slip some Herby Sauce inside each hole. The more you fill the tastier it will be.
10 - Place the Beef on top of the Vegetables.
11 - Turn the heat down to 200C / 400F and cook for 1 hour.
12 - If the Vegetables look dry, add a splash of Water to the tray to stop them burning.
13 - When the Beef is cooked to your liking, take the tray out of the oven and transfer the Beef to a board to rest for 10 minutes, cover it with some baking sheets ( don't use kitchen foil ). Serve.
Notes:
- If you prefer it medium-rare, take the Roasted Beef out the oven 5 ~ 10 minutes earlier. For well done, leave it in for an extra 10 minutes.
- If you wanna give it a twist, at direction 12 use Red, White Wine or Vin Santo instead of Water.
- For the Herby Sauce you can even use Butter intead of Oil, but if you do, do not use Wine.
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