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Winter Recipe: Herbed Roast Beef

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Looking for a very festive, very grand main course? This roast beef from America's Test Kitchen looks like a lot of work (and expense), but in truth it's pretty easy to make, and far from the priciest cut of meat. It'd be great on Christmas or New Year's Eve!

Photo courtesy America's Test Kitchen
Photo courtesy America's Test Kitchen

Herbed Roast Beef
Serves 6 to 8
For even deeper seasoning, refrigerate the roast overnight after filling it with the herb mixture in step 2.

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 (4-pound) top sirloin roast, fat trimmed to 1/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper

PREP HERBS Combine parsley, thyme, and shallot in bowl. Transfer 2 tablespoons herb mixture to another bowl and stir in mustard and 1 tablespoon oil until combined. Add butter to remaining herb mixture and mash with fork until combined.

PREP BEEF Butterfly roast and rub inside and out with salt and pepper. Spread herb-mustard mixture over interior of meat and tie securely with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

BROWN AND ROAST Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Pat roast dry with paper towels. Heat remaining oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown roast all over, 8 to 12 minutes, then arrange on V-rack set inside roasting pan. Transfer to oven and roast until meat registers 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

BUTTER AND REST Transfer roast to carving board, spread with herb-butter mixture, tent with foil, and let rest 20 minutes. Remove kitchen twine. Slice roast crosswise against grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Serve.

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