Roast Beef

Before You Start...

1. Please note that this recipe includes a dry-brining time of 1 day (or up to 2 days) to properly season the meat.
2. I highly recommend using a Thermoworks Chef’s Alarm for cooking meat and deep-frying. With this tool, you don‘t need to worry about undercooking or overcooking anymore. No more guessing! The cooking time varies depending on the size of the roast, the starting temperature, and your preferred finished temperature.

To Dry-Brine the Roast (the day before cooking)

1. Gather all the ingredients for the beef roast.
2. Sprinkle all sides of 3 lb beef roast with 1 Tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
3. Wrap the salted roast well in plastic and place it on a plate or tray. Keep it in the refrigerator to rest for 24 hours or up to 2 days.

To Cook the Roast

1. The next day, remove the roast from the refrigerator at least 1–2 hours before cooking to promote even cooking and speed up the roasting process. First, pat dry the meat with a paper towel.
2. Generously season the meat with freshly ground black pepper.
3. Start preheating the oven to 275ºF (135ºC), with a rack in the middle position. For a convection oven, reduce the cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC).
4. Heat an oven-safe braising pan or cast iron skillet (I use a 3.5 QT Le Creuset braiser) over medium-high heat. When it‘s hot, add 1 Tbsp neutral oil. Then, add the meat to the pan.
5. Sear all sides of the meat, roughly 2 minutes per side.
6. Be sure to sear the cut sides, too. Transfer to a plate.
7. Now, set a wire rack (I use a wire roasting rack from my Instant Pot) in the skillet and put the meat on the rack. Then, insert the meat thermometer probe to hit the center of the roast for an accurate reading. Set the meat thermometer temperature to 120ºF (49ºC) for roast beef done to medium-rare or 135°F (57ºC) for medium. Tip: After you take the roast out of the oven, its temperature will continue to rise while resting.
8. Place the skillet with the meat into the oven. Roast at 275ºF (135ºC) until the center of the roast reaches 120ºF (49ºC) or 135°F (57ºC). Once the meat thermometer alerts you, take the roast out of the oven.
9. Transfer the roast to a large plate or tray and tent it with aluminum foil. Reserve the pan juices and drippings in the skillet to make the gravy in the next step. Rest the roast for 20 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the muscle and lets the beef reach its final resting temperature.Tip: The ideal internal temperature of the finished roast after resting/tenting is 130ºF (54ºC) for medium-rare and 145ºF (63ºC) for medium. For a 2–3 lb roast, the internal temperature rises 10ºF (6ºC) after resting/tenting.

To Make the Gravy

1. Meanwhile, gather all the ingredients for the gravy.
2. Add ½ cup mirin, ¼ cup red wine, ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 Tbsp sugar, and 2 tsp rice vinegar (unseasoned) to the skillet with the pan juices and drippings. You can also collect the juices from the plate or tray where your roast is resting.
3. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Stir with a wooden spatula or whisk and scrape the bottom of the skillet to release any flavorful bits. Reduce the sauce by half, for about 10 minutes.
4. When the sauce thickens, turn off the heat. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Strain over a fine-mesh sieve to remove any fat and pan drippings.

To Serve

1. With a serrated knife, thinly slice the meat against the grain. Since the meat is on the leaner side, slice it relatively thin, about ¼ inch (6mm) thick, to enhance its tenderness. Arrange the slices on a serving platter. Serve individual portions and ladle the Japanese-style gravy on top. Enjoy!

To Store

1. Refrigerate leftover roast beef in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days. I recommend not slicing the roast so that the meat retains moisture. You can serve leftover roast beef warm or cold (after refrigeration). To freeze, freeze thinly sliced roast beef in an airtight container or resealable freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat directly from frozen. To reheat, microwave it until just warm.