A few days ago, I received a bundle of fresh asparagus from the farmer at Morgan Creek. The perfectly green spears were deserving of a gourmet meal. This beef roulade (which simply means “to roll” in French – I like to sound fancy) looks quite impressive, but it’s very simple to make.
One of my favorite toppings for roasted vegetables and meats is gremolata. This is classically a mixture of parsley, lemon zest and garlic. I wanted a nice “crunch” on top of the beef so I went ahead and added some panko breadcrumbs.
This is a great date night meal and one that truly celebrates asparagus season!
1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add asparagus and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water, then pat dry.
3. Place steak between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and flatten to an (approximate) 10×8 inch rectangle.
4. Season meat with salt and pepper and top evenly with cheese.
5. Place asparagus in a single layer over the cheese and roll-up jelly roll style. Tie with kitchen twine (see video). Season top of roast with salt and pepper.
6. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Brown beef 2-3 minutes per side, or until nicely golden brown. Transfer to a 13×9 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 1-1/2 hours. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
7. While the beef rests, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the reserved beef drippings. Add garlic and shallot and cook for 1 minute. Add breadcrumbs and stir until toasted, about 1 minute longer. Finish with lemon zest and fresh parsley. Remove from heat.
8. Slice beef and top with warm breadcrumbs.
Beef and Asparagus Roulade with Warm Gremolata Breadcrumbs
Serves 4
All you need:
1/2 lb. asparagus, trimmed
1 lb. flank steak
3 oz. garlic and herb goat cheese, crumbled
Salt and pepper, to taste
Non-stick cooking spray
Gremolata Breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley, minced
All you do:
1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add asparagus and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water, then pat dry.
3. Place steak between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and flatten to an (approximate) 10×8 inch rectangle.
4. Season meat with salt and pepper and top evenly with cheese.
5. Place asparagus in a single layer over the cheese and roll-up jelly roll style. Tie with kitchen twine (see video). Season top of roast with salt and pepper.
6. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Brown beef 2-3 minutes per side, or until nicely golden brown. Transfer to a 13×9 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 1-1/2 hours. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
7. While the beef rests, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the reserved beef drippings. Add garlic and shallot and cook for 1 minute. Add breadcrumbs and stir until toasted, about 1 minute longer. Finish with lemon zest and fresh parsley. Remove from heat.
8. Slice beef and top with warm breadcrumbs.