Rosemary Garlic Roast Beef

When I started being "in charge" of dinner, things like "roast beef" sounded so 1950s. Like something Lucile Ball would forget about in the oven, causing the house to fill with smoke, and comedy to ensue as she tries to fan the flames and save dinner just in time for Ricky's new boss to arrive.

Wahhh!

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I had this impression that roast beef was some sort of process that took all day. That somehow I wouldn't be able to make it unless I also possessed a pink polka dot dress, a lace apron, and a henna-dyed hairdo.

But I thought I'd give it a try when I saw a one-page recipe in Everyday Cooking.

Usually Martha Stewart has a way of making me feel grossly inadequate. I mean I can't even fold a goddam fitted sheet, no matter how many times she tells me to match up the corners. But in this case, I decided to throw caution to the wind and make this when the pressure was really on.

No my husband's boss wasn't coming over to discuss the big merger - there was far more pressure on me.

My parents were coming over for dinner.

Everything went perfectly (not that I was actually worried). My parents are so sweet, I'm not sure they would even tell me if it came out terribly. But that's where my husband never fails. If he doesn't like it. he'll let me know - which is a good thing.

He loved it, had a second helping, and ate it again the next night.

I'll have no trouble adding this to my regular rotation. All you do is sear it, rub it, roast it, rest it. (I wish I could think of a word that means sear, but starts with "r"). Oh well, still simple enough. 

Ingredients (adapted from Everyday Cooking Magazine)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 top round beef roast trimmed and tied (about 3 pounds)

2 pounds small potatoes

1 bag baby carrots

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, rosemary, garlic, and lemon zest; season with salt and pepper.
3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Pat beef dry and add to skillet. Increase heat to high and cook, turning several times until the beef is seared on all sides. About 10 minutes.
4. Transfer roast to roasting pan. Brush or spoon rosemary mixture over roast and place in oven. Roast 20 minutes. Remove from oven and place potatoes and carrots around pan and toss in juices. 
5. Roast until potatoes and carrots are tender and beef is medium rare (120 to 125 degrees on a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast). About 30-35 minutes.
6. Transfer roast to a cutting board, and tent loosely with foil. Let rest 10 minutes. (We like our carrots and potatoes cooked more so while the meat rested, I added a little water to the pan to stir up the meat juices and put the vegetables back in the oven while the roast rested. 
7. Slice thinly and serve with potatoes and carrots.