Beef with Garlic Harvester Sauce

Extremely tender beef pot roast with parsnips and a very garlicky sauce. A Tasting History favorite!

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City/Region: Transylvania

Time Period: 1580

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Garlic has long been used for healing and protection, from putting it in a money bag to prevent witches from pickpocketing, to filling a vampire’s mouth with garlic, to Bram Stoker’s Van Helsing hanging garlic and garlic flowers to keep Dracula away.

This recipe could certainly be used as a way to ward off any vampires, as the sauce is very delicious and very, very garlicky. The roast is so tender and flavorful, and the sauce is delicious and smooth. This dish is definitely one of my favorites that I’ve made on the channel.

“Beef with Garlic Harvester Sauce
Prepare the meat like I told you. Put parsley roots, leaves and onions into it. What we call harvest sauce, as I said, is that you beat [six or seven] eggs in vinegar and start whipping it; peel the garlic clove by clove, break it well, and add it to the eggs and vinegar. Then pour the meat’s juices into it. Break it well with the blanching stick after adding the liquid, be careful to keep it from shrinking. ”

— The Science of Cooking by the Prince of Transylvania’s Court Master Chef, 1580

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Ingredients:

Roast

• 3 1/2 to 4 lb (1.75 kg) boneless chuck roast
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt, divided
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
• 3 cups (700 ml) water*
• 2 cups (300 g) parsley root or parsnip
• 1/2 cup (15 g) torn parsley leaves
• 1 large onion, chopped

Sauce

• 6 medium eggs
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 small head of garlic, or about 2 tablespoons peeled and crushed

*You could also use beef broth and/or add a bit of wine.

Instructions:

1. For the roast: Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
2. Wash the roast and pat it dry. Rub it down with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. If your roast is not already trussed, tie some twine around it a couple of times to help it hold its shape.
3. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large oven-safe pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, set the roast in the pot and brown it on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. When the roast is browned, remove it and set it on a plate.
4. Add the parsley root, parsley leaves, onion, and remaining salt to the pot and cook until the onions are nice and tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. If it starts to look too dry, add a bit more olive oil. When the onions are soft, pour in the water to deglaze the pot, making sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom and sides of the pot.
5. Add the roast back to the pot along with any juices that have come out of it. Make sure the liquid comes at least halfway up the side of the meat, adding more if needed. Bring it to a simmer. Once it simmers, cover and set it in the oven for about 3 1/2 hours. The roast is done when you can insert a knife and twist it with very little resistance.
6. For the sauce: Take the roast out of the pot and set it aside to rest. Reserve about 1 cup of the broth from the pot the roast cooked in.
7. Whisk the eggs, then whisk in the vinegar until smooth. Whisk in the garlic and pepper.
8. Very slowly add the hot broth to the egg mixture, whisking vigorously the whole time so that the eggs don’t curdle.
9. Put the sauce in a pan over low heat. Whisk constantly until the sauce thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes. Don’t let it boil or it will curdle.
10. Carve the roast and serve it forth with the vegetables and the garlic sauce. The sauce is very strong, you may only need a little bit of it.

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