Roast Beast

Friday 19 March
Top round. Not the tendest cut of all, but if handled gently, as fine a piece of flesh as any in Illyria.
As always the biggest problem is starting the parsnips early and making sure they're down at the bottom in contact with 1) the roasting pan itself, and 2) some fat/liquid. So the roast resembled an archaeological dig with strata of Vedge Bin I (Parsnips), VB II (Carrots), VB III (Kennebec potatoes), IV (Turnips), V (Onions). The beefy inclusion was anointed with olive oil, thyme, salt 'n' peppah, more oil über alles. 450º for 10 minutes, then down to 350º, then back up to 400º, cuz it's taking for ever, then take out the roast at 120º inside, but keep vedge a-going for the sake of a few stray parsnips that have migrated to the upper layers and shoving a few uppity onions down.
(Note to self: even with a smallish beef, start the dam' thing, two and a half hours before dinner. Half an hour for slicing up rude vegetable, but two hours to make sure everything's done just right).
Still a tasty piece of beef with the whole apartment perfumed à la root cellar.