Roasted Eye Round of Beef

Serves 6 to 8

The eye of round is a cut of beef that, if cooked properly, is very flavorful, quite lean and an economical substitute for pricier beef tenderloin. In this recipe, the meat is roasted to rare or medium-rare to ensure that it is tender and moist. You can omit the butter in the sauce and just serve with the red wine pan juices for an equally delicious and elegant main dish.

Ingredients

• One eye round roast, about 2-1/2 pounds
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Dried thyme leaves
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Ground cumin
• About 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 cup water or beef broth
• 2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 400° F. Generously season the roast on all sides with salt, pepper, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder and cumin. Heat an ovenproof skillet, large enough to hold the roast, over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, enough to partially coat the bottom of the pan, then the roast, fat side down. Sear the roast on all sides until nicely browned, about 1 minute per side. Turn fat side up and place in oven. Roast until the desired doneness, an internal temperature of 120° for rare, about 30 minutes. Place roast on carving board and let rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Place the roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add the wine and water and bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up the browned bits. Let boil until reduced by about one-third. Remove pan from heat and whisk in the butter until incorporated. Cut the roast into thin slices. Place several slices on each plate and top with a little of the sauce.