Butter-seared beef coated in a bold crust of cracked black peppercorns, roasted to medium-rare, and served with a rich Cognac pan sauce with tender onions.
Ingredients
- 1200 g beef eye of round roast
- 3 tbsp Madagascar black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp hot Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp high-oleic sunflower oil
- 40 g unsalted butter, 82% fat
- 2 pieces yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic cloves
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 leaf dried bay leaf
- 5 cl Cognac
- 25 cl liquid brown veal stock
- 1 tsp fine Guérande sea salt
- 1 pinch fleur de sel
Method
- Remove the beef eye of round roast from the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature, then pat the surface thoroughly dry with paper towels.
- Crush the Madagascar black peppercorns in a mortar or using the bottom of a heavy skillet to obtain an even, coarse cracked texture without grinding them into powder.
- Season the roast on all sides with fine Guérande sea salt, then brush the entire surface with the hot Dijon mustard using a pastry brush.
- Roll the roast in the cracked peppercorns spread out on a clean cutting board, pressing down firmly with your palm so the crust adheres evenly.
- Preheat your convection oven to 425 °F (220 °C).
- Heat the high-oleic sunflower oil and part of the unsalted butter in a heavy cast-iron skillet over high heat. Once the butter foams and sizzles without browning, add the roast and sear each side vigorously for two minutes to brown the exterior without burning the spices.
- Thinly slice the yellow onions and crush the unpeeled garlic cloves with the flat of your hand.
- Scatter the sliced onions, unpeeled crushed garlic cloves, fresh thyme sprigs, and dried bay leaf in the bottom of a roasting pan, then set the browned roast on top.
- Roast at 425 °F (220 °C) for fifteen minutes to set the crust, then reduce the heat to 325 °F (160 °C) and continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer reaches 125 °F (52 °C) for rare or 129 °F (54 °C) for medium-rare, basting the meat halfway through with the pan juices.
- Transfer the roast to a wire rack set over a plate, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let it rest in a warm spot for fifteen minutes so the juices can redistribute.
- While the meat rests, place the roasting pan directly over medium heat to sweat and brown the onions in the rendered pan drippings. Deglaze with the Cognac, scraping up the browned bits vigorously with a wooden spoon, then simmer until almost completely reduced to cook off the alcohol.
- Pour in the liquid brown veal stock along with any juices collected under the resting roast, bring to a gentle simmer, and reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the onions to extract all their concentrated juices. Return the sauce to a small saucepan over very low heat, then whisk in the remaining chilled unsalted butter vigorously to mount and glaze the sauce.
- Using a sharp carving knife, slice the roast very thinly at a slight angle, strictly perpendicular to the grain of the meat. Fan the slices out onto a warmed platter, spoon a ribbon of hot pepper pan sauce over the top, and finish with fleur de sel.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 401.1 kcal
- Protein
- 41.98 g
- Carbohydrate
- 4.31 g
- Fat
- 22.49 g
- Fibre
- 1.45 g
- Calcium
- 51.03 mg
- Iron
- 1.44 mg
- Magnesium
- 27.39 mg
