SC - Where's the beef, finished roast

[rcmann4 at earthlink.net]

And it came to pass on 13 Feb 01, , that LYN M PARKINSON wrote:

> Your roast sounds delicious [except for the 'scribal error' of pepper!] 
> I thought that the directions to press the meat might result in the
> weight and salt forcing liquid out of the roast.  Did that happen?  

No, it didn't.  However, the recipe does not specify the amount of 
salt or how "great" the weight should be.  I hunted around on the 
web for some recipes for roasts coated with seasonings, and let 
those be my guide for quantities.

> Could the plastic wrap have prevented it happening?  

I don't think so.  I put the roast on a plate and covered the top with 
plastic wrap, mostly to protect the cast iron from the moisture.

> This salting and pressing
> method is used to get excess liquid out of eggplant, for example.  Can't
> imagine why you'd want to dry out your meat unless you were making jerky,
> which this is not.  

I wondered if it might be to thoroughly press the seasonings into 
the meat, so they wouldn't fall off when roasting on the spit.

> Did it seem more tender, as Master A. thought might
> happen?

I don't think it made much difference to the tenderness.  I do think I 
should have chosen a fattier cut of chuck roast -- there wasn't 
much in the way of drippings in the pan.

> Allison

Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)
mka Robin Carroll-Mann
now at a new address: rcmann4 at earthlink.net