The Great Sunday Roast

When given the challenge to cook with a cut of beef or lamb I had never used before, my mind immediately went into overdrive. What on earth would I choose? I have never been overly adventurous when it comes to cooking with different cuts, sticking to my favourites, such as rump or sirloin steak, so there would be plenty to choose from.

This seemed like the perfect challenge to push me outside my comfort zone and motivate me to try something new. Although my choice of a ‘bolar roast’ may not be deemed overly adventurous for most, I am embarrassed to say I have never cooked a beef roast before, so the challenge was on.

The selection of this cut, was somewhat swayed by the winter issue of mEAT mag laying on my desk at the time, with the Slow Cooked Dukkah Bolar recipe jumping out at me. I glanced over the recipe and quickly realised there was minimal effort required, and hopefully a beautiful result would be delivered. Perfect!

As this recipe feeds up to 8 people, I decided my uncle’s birthday dinner would be the perfect occasion plus the recipe would get plenty of critique, hopefully all positive. Before setting off for work I rubbed the bolar with a little oil and lots of dukkah mix. I placed it in my slow cooker (my favourite tool for winter) and poured warm beef stock around it. Lid on and slow cooker on low, I left the house and looked forward to returning home that afternoon.

The result when I served dinner that night was impressive, especially for a dish that required so little effort. I paired the tender roast bolar slices with roasted veges and drizzled over lots of pan sauce. Everyone loved how tender the beef was and the addition of dukkah to the mix. With a great success this time round, I will be looking to the mEAT magazine again when choosing my next cut to cook with. It is great how it encourages you to try cuts you may not have cooked with before, yet gives you a fool proof and straightforward recipe that totally delivers on flavour.