#Title

Roast beef with a deshi twist
Ingredients
For the roast —
900g–1000g beef, roast cut
(Preferably if it’s an eye of round. Just ask your local butcher to keep a log like round piece of meat for you from the upper round of a cow).
300g shallots, peeled and cut in half
1 tbsp white mustard paste (shorisha bata)
2 tsp garlic, minced
Salt, as per taste
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp oil
Woody herbs — rosemary, oregano, thyme, optional
For the gravy —
¼ cup tamarind syrup
1 tbsp jaggery
1 tsp white mustard paste (shorisha bata)
½ cup beef stock
1 tsp flour
Salt and pepper
Method
Remove extra fat from the meat. Marinate the meat with generous helping of salt and pepper. Leave it overnight in the fridge. The next day, take the meat out from the fridge. Bring it to room temperature.
Take a thick iron skillet and warm it up on medium high flame. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil on the meat and coat evenly. Sear the piece of the meat fat side down for 3 minutes and other sides for 2 minutes each to make an even brown crust on all sides.
Take the meat out from the skillet and let it rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, take the shallots in a bowl and drizzle some oil. Wipe excess oil from the skillet and add the oil coated shallots in it. Let the shallots roast for 1 minute.
Mix the mustard paste with garlic and few of the dry herbs of your choice. Rub the paste thoroughly on the meat.
Pre heat your oven to 180° C for 10 minutes. Place the meat on the bed of shallots in the skillet. Roast the meat for 45 minutes in the oven. Take the roast out from the oven, baste the roast with the beef liquid from the skillet. Add some herbs of your choice on top and cook it again for 20 more minutes.
Take the roast out from the oven, place it in a cool dish/cutting board. Cover it loosely with a foil. Allow the roast to rest for 20 minutes.
Take the same skillet that has been used for the roast, take out all the caramelized onions and keep aside.
While the roast is resting, prepare the gravy. Take the same skillet and put it on the stove on medium heat. There should be some beef juices left in the skillet. Add some tetuler rosh /tamarind syrup in it. Try to scrape off the bits and pieces of the beef and shallots with a spatula. Add mustard paste, cook for 1 min. Add beef stock, jaggery, salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil. Add a teaspoon of flour to make the gravy thicker. Check seasoning. Remove the gravy from the stove. Pour it in a nice gravy dish.
Rest for a bit. Now take a sharp carving knife and carve the roast in really thin slices. Thinner the tastier. Place the slices on a serving dish, pour the gravy over, place some of the caramelised shallots on side. Garnish with fresh woody herbs.
Serve and enjoy with your friends and family!
By Kazria Kayes
Photo and Food: Kazria Kayes
Kazriya Kayes is the Head of Marketing at Mentors, a freelance voice over artist, founder of the group Curly Girl Bangladesh, an avid home chef, who also has a cloud kitchen and catering house along with her mother.