Roast Beef with Vidalia Onions

1 standing rib roast, at least 4 pounds, or 2-3 pound cross rib roast
salt and freshly ground black pepper
slivers of fresh garlic
1/2-1 teaspoon good quality herbs
1/4 cup beef broth, or water
3-4 Vidalia onions, or other summer sweet onions

Preheat oven to 450-500 degrees. Place the meat, fat side up, in a shallow open pan and allow it to come to room temperature. Insert the slivers of garlic into the meat, pushing them as deeply into the meat as possible. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. (Or hold the salt till it is done.)

Reduce to 325 degrees and roast for approximately 20 minutes per pound, or until a meat thermometer inserted toward the end of the estimated cooking time registers 130 degrees for rare, 140 degrees for medium, and 160 for well done. Remove from the pan and let the roast sit on a carving board, tented with foil.

In meantime, baste off and discard most of the fat in the roasting pan and place the roasting pan over a burner. Add the broth or water and stir and deglaze the pan, adding the salt to taste. Cook for about 2 minutes to reduce it to a nice consistency and spoon the sauce over the slices of beef and the roasted onions. Or prepare gravy with the pan drippings.

To roast the onions, cut off the top and bottom of the onion slightly, and peel off most of the peelings. Place the onions in a clay baker or other casserole and sprinkle with a dash of olive oil.

Bake with the roast, for about 40-50 minutes.
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Garlic Cross Rib Roast

Usually served with pan roasted potatoes.

Serves 8-10

1 Cross Rib Roast (5-7 lbs.) (see below)
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
10 large garlic cloves crushed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons light olive oil
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup red wine
1 packet beef gravy mix
1 packet dry onion soup
1 10 ounce can Golden Mushroom Soup

Pre-heat oven to 375 F.

A Cross Rib is a cut that is between the shoulder, (sometimes known as the chuck) and rib of a the whole side of beef. You may have to ask for it if you do not find it in the meat section. This roast resembles a round roast, but is surrounded about three quarters around with short ribs. Generally, it is not as expensive as the classic rib roast but it is not a tough bargain either (such as rump or blade).

Place meat in a shallow roasting pan. Make a paste by mixing the mustard with the garlic, some salt and black pepper, garlic powder, dry mustard, oil and paprika. Spread over roast - top and sides.
Make additional paste if meat is not well covered. On side of roast, pour in water, wine, beef gravy mix and onion soup powder. Sprinkle top of roast generously with extra garlic and paprika. Cover roast with foil.

Roast at 375 F. for the first hour. Reduce temperature to 350 F. and continue roasting for a couple of hours (depending on desired doneness) - basting every so often. Remove foil during last half hour of cooking.

Remove meat slice thinly. In roasting pan, stir in Golden Mushroom soup with pan juices, mixing
well. Pour some of this over meat, offering remaining as gravy.

Serve cold (leftovers) sliced thinly on a garlic toasted French hard roll, with dijon and white
horseradish, side salad.