Love Me Tender Beef Roast

Not long after Farmer Paul and I said "I do" I tried and failed to make a proper beef roast. I underestimated how long it should cook based on a cookbook which said 20 minutes per pound. The next try, I overestimated and the result was more like bland beef jerky than a pink juicy roast. It wasn't until my mother-in-law bought me one that I realized that what I was missing was a good quality thermometer.

Boneless ribeye roast was on sale this week and today was just cool enough an afternoon to turn on the oven. A few simple ingredients and armed with your own trusty meat thermomenter, the result will be tender, juicy prime beef every time.

SUNDAY SPECIAL ROAST BEEF
One 3-4 pound boneless rib roast
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, finely grated

To cook evenly, the roast must not be cold - let it stand at room temperature, loosely covered, for one hour. If you don't let the roast sit at room temperature, your roast won't cook evenly, and you'll end up with well-done slices on the end and raw meat in the center.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Blend garlic, rosemary and parsley in a small bowl, set aside. Pat the roast dry with paper towels or napkins. Smear only the cut ends of the roast with butter. Rub the outside of your roast with the spice mixture. Do NOT salt your roast. Salt draws out moisture from the meat during cooking.

Place the roast, fat side up, in a metal roasting pan. Use a roasting pan with 3 inch sides and a raised rack so the roast doesn't sit in its juices as it cooks. Sear the roast for 15 minutes at the higher oven temperature (425 degrees F.), then lower the temperature to 325 degrees F for the rest of the cooking time. Do NOT cover your roast.

Begin checking the internal temperature after 45 minutes of baking time, using a good instant-read digital meat thermometer. Hint: Play it safe and start checking early, as you don't want anything to go wrong. Internal temperature, not time, is the best test for doneness.

When checking the temperature of your roast, insert meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of beef, not resting in fat. Cook until roast reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees F for rare, 130 degrees F for medium rare, 140 degrees F for medium. Remove from oven, cover with aluminum foil, and let sit approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Slice to desired thickness with a very sharp carving knife or electric knife for clean even slices. Serves 4-6.