I like to call this a poor man's substitute for beef tenderloin. Grass fed beef tenderloin is great, but difficult to get and quite expensive.  To mimic the size and shape of a beef tenderloin, I use an Eye of Round Roast.  It makes a great carved roast beef and a great faux tenderloin sandwich. If you can't get Eye of Round, you can substitute a sirloin tip roast. 

Feel free to improvise with the seasonings.  While this recipe only calls for kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, you should also try our Fresh Herbed Salt recipe. 

Ingredients

1 (2 - 4 lb) Grassfed Eye of Round Roast (or sirloin tip roast)

2 - 3 tablespoons pastured butter

Directions

• Marinade the roast by rubbing 2 - 3 tablespoons of Unfiltered, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil all over the surface of the roast and then let it sit on the counter at room temperature for 2 hours (alternatively you can refrigerate the roast for 24 hours but allow the roast to come to room temperature before cooking).

• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. 

• Season the roast with kosher sea salt and lots of fresh ground black pepper.

• Melt 2 - 3 tablespoons of butter in a cast iron pan over medium high heat until the butter begins to bubble and slightly smoke.  We like to use an enameled cast iron dutch oven as it sears great on the stove top and then roasts nicely in the oven.Turn the heat down to medium and carefully brown the roast on all sides.  

• Take the roast off the heat, put it into the oven and reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees F.  Do not cover or add water.

• Roast in the oven for 4 - 5 minutes per pound depending on the size of the roast.  If it's a 2 lb roast, 4 minutes per lb.  If it's a larger 4 lb roast, 5 minutes per lb.  (example, 2 lbs = 8 minutes roasting at 425).  Then turn off the oven and let the roast sit in the hot oven for 2 hours. Do not open the door at all during this time!

• Remove the roast from the oven and check it with a meat thermometer.  The internal temperature should have reached at least 135 degrees F

• Carve into thin slices and serve.

This high heat followed by low heat cooking process mimics ancient, traditional cooking techniques where beef was roasted on a spit over an open fire.  As the fire is allowed to slowly burn down, the meat goes from cooking at a high heat to a very low heat.  We've learned through reading and experimentation that many traditional cooking techniques are really the best way to cook pasture raised meats.  After all, these cooking methods were developed back when all meat was pasture raised.