Herbed Roast Beef

Pricey cuts of meat like prime rib and beef tenderloin are the main attraction at many a holiday table. We wondered if we could get an equally enthusiastic reaction from guests with a top sirloin roast. Here’s what we discovered:

Test Kitchen Discoveries

• A luxurious, crunchy bread-crumb crust is great for a tenderloin, but fell apart when we tried to slice our roast thin. Instead of a crust, we developed an herb mustard spread and discovered a way to incorporate it directly into the roast.
• As the herb butter lays on the resting roast, it mingles with the natural juices of the meat and creates a simple sauce without the need to dirty a pan.
• We find that cooking a roast at a low temperature ensures it will be cooked to a perfect medium rare throughout and won’t develop a layer of gray, overdone meat just below the surface.