We don’t get to have a good beef roast very often – but it definitely a meal I absolutely cherish (and completely underestimated how simple it was until I made it for the first time). This is definitely a dish where better quality the beef, the better flavour it will have in the end – so the goal is to keep it simple and letting the meat shine. Our favourite is from a local Southern Alberta Ranch, One Mile Ranch, but eat your local – find something tasty from your local grocer or butcher to find what is best in your region!

Now, to go with good quality beef – you need some great wine! This is why we used this recipe for our second pairing with Collective – A Craft Beer Shop. This month, we are featuring the Ja! Bodega Tinedo – a lovely organic Spanish Tempranillo. Medium bodied with soft tannins and a bright acidity it has some tasty raspberry, blackberry, and leather earthy notes with a nice minerality that pairs nicely with the beef without overpowering its lovely delicate (for beef) flavour.

INGREDIENTS

1 x 3 lbs beef roast (we used a cross rib roast, but you can use whatever roast you want)
1.5 tbs smooth dijon mustard
2 tbs seasoning salt

Special equipment: roasting pan with rack.

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat your oven to 425F. Rub the roast all over in the dijon mustard then sprinkle evenly with the seasoning salt. Place on a rack in a roasting pan (bone side down if using a cross-rib roast) and place about 1 cup of water in the bottom of the pan to prevent any juices from burning onto the pan (makes clean up easier).

Bake for 15 mins and then turn the temperature down to 325F. Continue baking for about 1 hour or until it reaches an internal temperature of 125F for medium-rare. I rotate the pan (spin it around to face the other way) at the half hour mark to also ensure even cooking (in case one side of the oven is hotter than the other).

Remove from the oven and set aside for 10-15 mins to rest. This will help the juices stay in the meat and raise the internal temperature by about 5 degrees to a full medium-rare.

Slice thinly and serve with your favourite sides.

Serves 4-6

Tip: Want to make an au jus to go with it? Just simmer and reduce veal stock (milder flavour than beef) over medium heat until it starts to thicken and you have a great demi-glace! I do this from frozen, but pre-thawed stock would work just as well. (From frozen – just drop giant stock ice cube into pan and watch melt and simmer into a tasty sauce – takes about 40 mins).