Roast Beef - How Long to Cook a Sirloin Roast

If you're lucky enough to find a sirloin roast or sirloin tip roast, then you've elevated a beef roast far beyond a simple pot roast - yummy as that might be. I've done a couple of articles on roasting beef - different cuts and techniques. This one however, might be just about my favorite. If you want beautifully tender, medium rare slices of juicy beef - then read on, mon ami!

Like most of my recipes, this is far simpler to achieve than you might think. You really only need a few ingredients, including salt and pepper. The only specialty piece of equipment you need is a good meat thermometer, and if you've been reading my articles, you should already have one. If you don't - go! Get one! It's one of the best investments you can make for fabulous food. The payoff is amazing.

All I ask is that you don't pay attention to the charts that tell you how long to roast per pound - these are so inaccurate you'll end up with underdone or overdone roast and a broken heart. Don't do this to yourself. The charts don't work because there's no way to accurately predict the starting temperature of the roast, the accuracy of the oven temperature, or the way you're holding your pinky when you put the roast in the oven. Those all affect how long the cooking process takes. With a thermometer, you can stick the roast in the oven and go play tiddlywinks while it cooks, without ever having to bat an eyelash. The roast cost more than the thermometer - so just do it my way. You'll thank me.

You'll need:

• 1 3-5 lb roast
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• several cranks of freshly cracked black pepper
• 3 Tbl olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Put all ingredients except the roast into the bowl of a food processor, and pulse several times until finely chopped. You can also chopped them, and whisk together by hand. Don't skimp the salt - the salt will work with the natural juices of the roast to form the crusty exterior.
3. Rub the garlic/rosemary mixture thoroughly over the surface of the roast, massaging it in. Insert the probe of a meat thermometer into the very center of the roast.
   
4. Place in oven, and roast until you reach an internal temperature of 130F for medium rare. For each additional 'step' of doneness, add ten degrees. So medium would be 140, medium well, 150, and well done 160.
5. Pull from the oven when the thermometer reads 130. Make a tent of foil and loosely cover the roast. You'll see carryover cooking increase the temperature another 5-10 degrees. That's fine - you planned on it.
6. Carve the roast on a cutting board or large platter to catch the juices. Don't waste those - they are delicious too! Use a spoon to drizzle the jus over the meat when you serve it

A little horseradish sauce is also a very fine thing - as is good Dijon, or a red wine sauce....or nothing! This one is flavorful to go naked! Yay naked!