Roast beef, sounds like a good idea but, how do you make it? Roasts have been an unnecessary mystery to me. I have only watched my dad throw a rump roast in a crockpot with some root vegetables and a packet of instant onion soup mix. We LOVED it as kids, and even now as an adult it smells amazing. But now, I’m a grown up, I kinda want a grown up roast that shouts, I CAN cook, even if my repertoire is somewhat small. This recipe is for me and you too!
Roast Beef is the national dish of England and is traditionally served on special occasions and Sundays. There was even a song honoring the national dish called The Roast Beef of Old England from 1731. Yep, it’s been around awhile.
This recipe has a simple marinade with the sweetness of prunes and the umami of soy sauce and anchovies, whipped up in a food processor. It’s peppery and nicely paired with fresh horseradish sauce. It is beautiful when sliced, moist and tasty. You can even use a cheap cut of meat, it’s all about cooking it to 125F* and letting it rest for 30 minutes, tented with foil, so the roast can finish cooking with the residual heat and redistribute the juices. If you cut it right away, a lot of the juice will come out of the meat instead of redistributing back into the meat fibers.
The fresh horseradish sauce is a great complement to the full flavored roast. I remember drooling over this sauce in restaurants when they served it with my prime rib. I need to make this sauce more often. The first time I made this sauce it was way too salty so I scaled it way back. Just use 1/4 tsp salt and adjust if necessary.
- Note the recommended temperature for a beef roast is 145F per FoodSafety.gov. I personally find that a roast at this temp is dry, tough and has much less taste. At 125F your meat will continue to cook as it rests and will be between medium and medium rare, depending on the thickness of your meat.
This recipe is adapted from Milk Street Kitchens’ Prune, Peppercorn and Fresh Herb-Rubbed Roast Beef. Milk Street Kitchen is a new magazine, podcast and soon to be television show that is exploring different cooking techniques from around the World, they’re after my heart. Oh, I forgot the cool part, they are opening a cooking school too where regular people like you and I can take some classes. Wish I were closer to Boston…
A moist, tasty roast beef with fresh horseradish sauce. This is SO EASY, and delicious your family will beg you to make it again!
Ingredients
- 1 cup of pitted prunes
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1 Tbs dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup catsup
- 2 Tbs salt
- 2 Tbs black peppercorns or 2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 4 anchovy fillets
- 3-5lb beef roast (Blade, Top Sirloin, Eye Round or your favorite)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated horseradish
- 2 Tbs rice vinegar
- 2 Tbs water
- 1 Tbs minced fresh rosemary
- 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
Instructions
- In the food processor add first 8 ingredients and pulse until pureed smooth.
- Poke holes in the roast with a sharp knife.
- Transfer marinade and beef to a large plastic bag and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 275F, place the rack in the middle of the oven.
- Remove meat from bag, discard marinade, place roast on a rack in a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake in oven until meat thermometer reads 125F, about 1-11/2 hours.
- Meanwhile, mix all horseradish sauce ingredients and set aside in the refrigerator.
- Transfer roast to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil and rest for 30 minutes.
- Slice thinly and serve with fresh horseradish sauce.
For more beef recipes:
Easy Texas Style Smoked Brisket
Crockpot Beef Tacos
