Day 3 - Top Sirloin Roast

It's only day three and we almost

 didn't make it.  

After a breakfast of instant organic oatmeal we left the house to run errands.  At 2:30 we were hungry but didn't stop to eat.  By 5:00 we were starving and R was listing off places we could stop for food.  I almost gave in but I stayed strong only because I knew I had to write about the day.  This is why I decided to blog about the experience.  Without anything to hold me accountable we would have had Subway or sushi for dinner tonight.  Instead I made a roast.

The idea came from the pages of the fall edition of Inspired magazine - a giveaway that came with the Food and Drink magazine from the LCBO.  "Mustard-crusted beef tenderloin with red wine glaze" is what caught my eye but I have to admit I don't always follow recipes to the T.  Before I get ahead of myself I should note that the real recipe is found at the end of this entry.  I bought a top sirloin roast because it was on sale for $5 and it was smaller than the beef tenderloin roasts.  For the crust the recipe called for whole grain dijon mustard, brown sugar, cumin and fresh rosemary but we just received a package of Raye's Old Fashioned Gourmet Mustard from Maine when we were on the east coast and I couldn't resist putting it to use.  We had a wide selection of mustards but I decided to go with the Dundicott Hott described as a hot, bold and smooth brown mustard.  I only added a little brown sugar and coated the roast with the mixture.  After a sprinkling of cracked black pepper I put the roast in the oven uncovered for 40 minutes with two sweet potatoes tucked on either side.

We were starving so we also bought some bread and roasted vegetable bruschetta mix.  I toasted slices of the baguette and topped those with a slice of Balderson cheddar and a spoonful of the mix.  

When the roast was ready I pulled it out to sit for an extra ten minutes and quickly cooked some asparagus in a frying pan with a little oil.  

Finally it was time to eat and I realized I made a mistake I make far too often: the meat wasn't cooked enough.  One year I got not one but two meat thermometers for Christmas but I have no idea where either of them are.  I think I should go buy another one.  If you try the recipe use a meat thermometer!  The roast was very rare in the middle so I put it back into the oven for another 15 minutes.  When it was finally ready it was quite delicious.  The meat was tender and juicy and the crust was a little spicy without overpowering the palate.  

So we made it through day three.  I am happy we made the meal instead of eating out.  Not only do I have extras for tomorrow but R hung a bunch of art around the house while I cooked!  

We bought a bunch of groceries while we were out so we should be able to make a few good meals this week.  At this point there's not real plan.  That's something I have to work on.

MUSTARD-CRUSTED BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH RED WINE GLAZE

Serves: 8 

Prep Time:  5 min.

Total Time: 45 min.

A high-quality cut, beef tenderloin costs about as much as a turkey but takes a fraction of the prep and cook time.

2 1/2 to 3 lb

(1 to 1.5 kg) beef tenderloin roast, trimmed

2 tsp

canola oil

10 mL

1/2 tsp

salt

2 mL

2 tbsp

Sensations by Compliments Whole Grain Dijon Prepared Mustard

30 mL

2 tsp

brown sugar

10 mL

1/4 tsp

Compliments Ground Cumin

1 mL

2 tsp

fresh Compliments Rosemary, finely chopped

10 mL

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup

red wine

250 mL

1/4 cup

sugar

60 mL

Energy:

360  Calories

Protein:

39 g

Fat:

16 g

Carbohydrates:

11 g

Sodium:

290 mg

Cholesterol:

95 g

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Bring meat up to room temperature before rubbing on all sides with canola oil and seasoning with salt. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
2. In a small bowl, mix the mustard, brown sugar, cumin and rosemary. Using the back of a spoon, spread the mustard mixture on sides and top of the meat. Season with freshly ground pepper.
3. Roast for 40 min. or until a meat thermometer reaches 160°F (71°C) for medium. Allow to rest 10 min. before slicing. Serve with red wine glaze.

Red Wine Glaze

1. In a small saucepain, combine the red wine and sugar and mix well. Bring to a simmer and allow to reduce, stirring once in a while, until thickened, 20 to 30 min. Reduction will thicken further when it cools. It can be made several days ahead of time and stored in the refigerator. Bring up to room temperature before serving as a drizzle for the beef or risotto.

PS - I really need to figure out this site better.  I really don't like how this layout works with the photos!