Pepper-Coated Roast Beef with Red Pepper-Basil Butter

A thick crust of cracked black pepper over Dijon mustard gives this beef eye of round roast a bold, peppery bark that rivals any steakhouse. The mustard acts as both flavor layer and glue, holding the coarsely ground pepper in place while the roast cooks at high heat until medium-rare.

Eye of round is a lean cut that benefits from this treatment. The mustard-pepper crust seals in moisture while the high oven temperature creates a gorgeous, dark exterior. Letting the roast sit at room temperature for an hour before roasting ensures even cooking from edge to center.

The compound butter is where this goes from good to memorable. Softened butter whipped with minced roasted red peppers, fresh basil, and parsley melts over each slice of hot beef, creating a rich, herb-flecked sauce right on the plate. Make it while the roast rests and serve it on the side so everyone can add as much as they want.

Chef Tips

• Bring the roast to room temperature for a full hour before cooking. Cold beef straight from the fridge roasts unevenly
• Use coarsely cracked pepper, not fine ground. The larger pieces create a crunchy, textured crust
• Pull the roast at 145°F (63°C) and rest it 10 minutes. Carryover cooking will bring it up another 5 degrees
• Slice thin, against the grain. Eye of round can be chewy if cut thick or with the grain

Variations

• Use a horseradish butter instead: mix softened butter with prepared horseradish and chives
• Add crushed coriander seeds to the pepper coating for a more complex, citrusy crust
• Serve cold the next day, sliced paper-thin for roast beef sandwiches