Petey Bank’s Roast Beef

Story and recipe by Gaby Weir Vera Columbia, Missouri

Adapted from the contribution by Petey Bank for the Don’t Forget to Add the Love cookbook

Photography by Gaby Weir Vera

My adaptation of Petey Bank’s roast beef includes replacing the canned cream of mushroom soup with from-scratch mushroom soup.

I’ve been spending a lot of time browsing through the old church cookbooks Christina has been collecting for her writing project. And I’ve slowly been marinating an idea. These recipes, though comforting and delicious, come from another time and way of cooking that has gone by the wayside. I wondered what it would be like to transform some of those recipes into fresher, more modern dishes without the canned, store-bought, pre-packaged ingredients. I saw a Roast Beef recipe and knew that was going to be my first try. This particular recipe caught my eye because of its simplicity and the sense of home it communicated.

Christina’s writing project is an effort to highlight the people who contribute to these church cookbooks, while also preserving the recipes. Her goal is to offer a lens into the old ways without tampering the originality and dedication of each contributor. When she began her project, readers were fascinated and a few could not wait to give her their old cookbooks. Thus, a collection of old cookbooks began to form. As I accompanied Christina and helped her browse through each of the many pages, I experienced the burning thought: How could we cook more of these recipes and inspire people to make them at home?

The original recipe for Roast Beef is found in the Don’t Forget to Add the Love cookbook from the women of St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Columbia, Missouri, publication date unknown. The recipe contributor is Petey Bank, and her recipe called for just three ingredients: an arm roast, a can of cream of mushroom soup, and an equal part of red wine. My take eliminates the cans, and calls for fresh ingredients to create the creamy mushroom sauce in the same pot. While my adapted recipe contains more than three ingredients, the ease of the process isn’t compromised. The result will transport you to a time of warmth and comfort nonetheless. 

Roast Beef

Serves | 8 |

3 lb chuck roast

1 tbsp coarse kosher salt

1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

3 tbsp butter

½ cup green onions, white part only, thinly minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups baby portabella mushroom, roughly chopped

½ cup all-purpose flour 

1 cup port wine 

1 cup beef stock 

1 cup half & half 

½ cup green onion tops, thinly sliced 

| Preparation |

Preheat the oven to 300F.

Season the roast with salt and pepper on all sides.

Add extra virgin olive oil to a large dutch oven pot and heat until hot and smoky.

Add the roast to the pot and sear each side until golden brown (about three minutes) and when all sides are brown remove from the pot and set aside.

Add the butter to the pot, melt, and add the green onions, garlic, and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms begin to soften and turn darker, about 2 minutes.

Add the flour and stir well until a paste-like mixture forms. Cook for 1 minute.

Add the wine and stir well to combine the paste with the liquid, cook for about 1 minute.

Add the stock and stir well to combine. Add the half and half and continue stirring until the cream is fully mixed in.

Add the roast back into the pot, cover with a lid, and bake for 2 hours.

Remove the pot from the oven and take out the roast to rest for 30 minutes. The sauce might appear slightly broken, simply whisk it to incorporate.

Slice the beef and add back to the pot and coat with the sauce. Serve over a bowl of rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes. Top with green onions and enjoy!