Rosemary-Garlic Tri-Tip Roast with Spiced Yam Wedges and Parmesan Creamed Spinach

Rosemary-Garlic Tri-Tip Roast with Spiced Yam Wedges and Parmesan Creamed Spinach

The combination of wanting to try the convection roast feature on my oven and Albertson’s having a sale on their untrimmed tri-tip roasts inspired this meal.  Now, the key word in this sentence is “untrimmed” which means their tri-tip has a nice layer of fat on the top portion of the roast which makes it oh-so-yummy!  I know, not the most healthiest, but sometimes (or most times in my case) yummy overrules healthy.

Tri-tip with the probe inserted and plugged into the inside of the oven

  

I was cruising the “Beef, It’s What’s for Dinner” website looking for the proper inner temperature for tri-tip and found this recipe.  It also includes roasted potatoes, but I was doing the spiced yam wedges so I modified the recipe to have the spices without the potatoes.  The recipe follows:

Rosemary-Garlic Tri-Tip Roast

Ingredients:

·        1 untrimmed 2 lb. tri-tip roast

·        1 tbsp. olive oil

·        3 cloves garlic, minced fine

·        1 tsp. dried 1 tsp. fresh rosemary  leaves

·        1 1/2 tsp. coarse salt

·        1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

     Preheat oven to 425º.  Combine garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper.  Rub roast with olive oil then press with seasoning mix.

     Place roast on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.  Roast for 30-40 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reaches 135º for medium rare. 

     Remove from oven and transfer to board.  Tent with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes.  (Temperature will continue to rise about 10º to reach 145º for medium rare).

     Carve roast across the grain.  Serve immediately.

Servings:  8

I was doing this recipe on convection roast so I lowered the temperature to 400º because when you are converting a recipe to convection you lower it 25º and adjust the cooking time usually around 5-10 minutes.  I also was trying out a nifty feature that comes with this oven, a temperature probe that plugs inside the oven.  You then set the inner temperature you are wanting and it then emits a tone which it reaches the set temp. 

One thing that is always important with meat is that you want to reach a lower temperature than the final one desired because the meat will continue to “cook” as it rests and it’s always important to let it rest because during cooking the meat’s juices rush to the surface and if you slice it right away they will all come out leaving the meat dry.  Depending on the size of the meat, as you let it rest the juices reintegrate into the meat so only a minimal amount escapes.  Typically you wait about 5 minutes with steaks and about 15 minutes for roasts.  This recipe calls for medium-rare, but if you prefer medium, cook till the inner temperature reaches 140º. 

Next recipe is for the yams.  This is Lucinda Scala Quinn’s (Mad Hungry show on Hallmark channel) recipe and is actually for sweet potatoes, but I like yams more (and sweet potatoes aren’t always available in my store). 

Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Spiced Sweet Potato Wedges

Ingredients:

·        2 tbsp. brown sugar

·        1 tsp. coarse salt

·        1/2 tsp. ground cumin

·        1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

·        2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced in half lengthwise, and cut into wedges about 4" long

·        1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Directions:

     Preheat the oven to 350º.  Cover a rimmed baking sheet with baking parchment or foil.

     In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, cumin, and cayenne.

     Spread the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet. Drizzle the oil over the wedges and toss to coat.

     Transfer the wedges to the bowl and toss completely with the spice mixture to coat each piece. Return the potatoes to the baking sheet and spread out in a single layer.

     Bake for 10 minutes. Turn over the wedges. Raise the heat to 400º. Bake for 10 to 15 more minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and tender.

Servings:  4-6



Wedges tossed with spiced and brown sugar



Fresh out of the oven!



Her original recipe calls for 4 sweet potatoes, but this makes a lot so I changed it to 2-3, but left the other ingredients the same because I like a lot of flavor.  Not only is this recipe great, but it’s great the next day!  I highly recommend it.



The final recipe (also Lucinda’s) is a favorite of steak houses so I thought it would go great with the tri-tip:

Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Creamed Spinach

Ingredients:

·        2 1/2 lb. fresh spinach, washed, water still clinging to the leaves

·        3 tbsp. unsalted butter

·        1/4 cup flour

·        1 cup milk

·        1 tsp. coarse salt

·        pinch of freshly ground black pepper

·        pinch of ground nutmeg

·        1 cup grated parmesan, optional

Directions:

     Steam the spinach in a large pot for 2 to 3 minutes, until the leaves have all collapsed. The water clinging to the leaves will be enough to cook it. Drain, cool, and squeeze out the liquid in a strainer. Coarsely chop the spinach.

     To make the béchamel, heat a sauté pan over medium heat, and then melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk until fully incorporated and simmer for 30 seconds.

     Stir in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. If using parmesan cheese, add now.  Fold in the spinach and serve immediately.

Servings:  6

Don’t be daunted by the amount of spinach.  It will seem like a lot, but once it steams, it really goes down.  Don’t over cook it in the steaming process because it will briefly cook again with the béchamel.  Also, watch the béchamel carefully once you add the cream, because it will thicken pretty quickly.  I highly recommend the parmesan, but then I really, really love parmesan!  Enjoy!