This flavourful roast will make a fine Sunday dinner. Accompany it with mashed potatoes and a couple of simple vegetable side dishes.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: Depends on desired doneness (see method)
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
2 3/4 lb. top sirloin roast
1 Tbsp peppercorn medley or mélange, coarsely crushed, or to taste (see Note)
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 to 1 tsp herbes de Provence (see Note)
1/3 cup red wine
2 cups beef broth or stock
Preheat oven to 450 F. Place beef in a small roasting pan or ovenproof skillet. Combine peppercorns, mustard and herbes de Provence in a small bowl. Brush the tops and sides of the meat with this mixture. Roast 20 minutes, and then lower oven temperature to 325 F.
Now roast the beef to desired doneness, allowing, approximately, 30 to 40 minutes more cooking time for rare, and 40 to 50 minutes for medium-rare to medium. Use an instantread meat thermometer to gauge doneness. A rare roast will be done at 120 F; a medium-rare roast will be 125 F to 130 F. (Remember the meat will continue to cook when it rests.)
Transfer roast to a plate. Tent the meat with foil and let rest 10 minutes.
To make the jus, set the pan or skillet over mediumhigh heat. Add the wine, bring to a simmer and scrape the pan to lift off any brown bits on the bottom. Add the stock, simmer a few minutes more, and the jus is ready.
Thinly slice the beef, set on a platter and serve the jus in a sauceboat alongside.
Note: If you don't have a spice or pepper grinder to coarsely crush the peppercorns, set them in a small, thick plastic bag and use a kitchen hammer to crush them. Or, set the peppercorns on a cutting board and use the bottom of a heavy skillet to press, roll and crush them.
Herbes de Provence is an aromatic French-style blend of dried herbs. You can buy it in the spice aisle at most supermarkets. If you can't find it, you could simply use dried thyme or rosemary in this recipe.
