Pepper Coated Roast Beef with Red Pepper-Basil Butter

This is the kind of roast that looks impressive and takes almost no active work. An eye of round gets slathered in Dijon mustard, pressed into a crust of coarsely cracked mixed peppercorns, then roasted hot until a thermometer at the centre reads 145°F (63°C).

The mustard does two jobs. It glues the pepper to the meat so the crust doesn’t fall off when you slice, and it builds a savoury, slightly tangy bark as it dries in the oven.

Eye of round is a lean, tight-grained cut. It’s forgiving in the oven if you nail the temperature but turns to leather if you push past medium-rare. The carryover cooking from a foil-tented rest adds another 5°F, so pulling at 145°F lands you right at a rosy 150°F for medium-rare.

The compound butter is the secret weapon. Smashed roasted red peppers, fresh basil, and parsley folded into soft butter, a dollop on each hot slice melts into an instant sauce.

Pro Tips

• Let the roast sit at room temperature for a full hour before roasting so it cooks evenly instead of cold in the middle and overdone at the edges.
• Use a digital probe thermometer, eye of round has a narrow window between “perfect” and “sawdust."
• Slice across the grain and keep it thin, this cut toughens fast with thick slabs.
• Make the compound butter ahead and chill into a log in plastic wrap, it slices cleanly and looks elegant on the plate.

Variations

• Swap the red pepper butter for a horseradish-chive butter if you want more bite.
• Add minced garlic and a splash of sherry vinegar to the butter for extra depth.
• Leftovers shine thinly sliced on a baguette with arugula and a smear of the compound butter.