When you were a kid, were you blessed like me and able to sit at your grandmother’s kitchen table while enjoying a plate of roast beef, creamed corn, roasted potatoes, gravy and biscuits? Those were the days, weren’t they?

Well, I’m here to tell you that there is nothing in this world like that beef roast that Granny got up at 5am to prepare for us on Sunday mornings. But this beef roast recipe I am going to share with you is memorable all on its own.

This recipe uses a tri-tip roast, which comes from the bottom sirloin area of the animal. Cuts that come from this area, such as the tri-tip, don’t get a lot of movement from the animal. This results in a tender cut of meat to begin with. Adding great flavor and roasting it correctly makes for a tasty dish.

Here’s what you do:

Begin by preparing your dry rub ingredients. You likely already have these things in your kitchen: 3/4 T salt, 1 T black pepper, 1/2 T garlic powder, 1/2 T onion powder, 1/2 T dried oregano, 1/4 t. cayenne pepper, 1/2 t. rosemary, 1/2 t. dried sage, 1/4 t. seasoned salt.

Mix the rub ingredients with a fork.

Now it’s time for the fun part. Get out your beautiful Tri-Tip roast.

Now coat all sides of that 2.5 lbs of awesome meat with your dry rub. Should look something like this:

Now, you will want to whip out your cast iron skillet. Everyone has one of those, right? Granny would not approve if you don’t have one. Just kidding. Even a large dutch oven or something similar would do. Drizzle a couple tablespoons of oil into your vessel and crank up the heat under it to high. This is important. You want to sear the roast and get a nice crust on the outside. We’re not actually cooking it here. Just getting it nice and seared. This add flavor and retains moisture.

Using a pair of tongs, place your roast in your skillet (or whatever you’ve chosen to use) and sear it on each side. Using high heat, this should take no more than 2 minutes per side. The meat should sizzle when you place it in the skillet. Sizzling is a good thing, don’t be afraid.

While your roast is searing, you need to get your roasting pan ready. What? Don’t have a roasting pan? Me neither. It’s ok. A half sheet pan topped with an oven proof cooling rack will work just fine. I actually use this same setup to cook bacon in the oven. But that’s another story for another time.

Now that your roast has a beautiful sear on all sides, it’s time to place it on your roasting pan.

Cover that work of art with aluminum foil and slide it into your 375 degree preheated oven. I set my oven on the “roast convection” setting, but if yours doesn’t have that, do not worry. A regular standard oven preheated to 375 will be just fine.

Roast for about 1 hr and 45 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 150 degrees. Keep the roast covered loosely with aluminum foil and let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.

This roast can be really versatile. It can be served with roasted vegetables and gravy. Or it can be served with rice, black beans, and tortillas. Or it can be served on a buttery bun and topped with caramelized onions and barbecue sauce. You could also brown the roast in the morning and place it in a slow cooker to cook on low all day. The sky is the limit!

Ta da! Juicy, tender and slices well. Enjoy!

Not Your Granny’s Beef Roast

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lb Tri-tip roast
• 3/4 T salt
• 1 T black pepper
• 1/2 T garlic powder
• 1/2 T onion powder
• 1/2 T dried oregano
• 1/4 t. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 t. rosemary
• 1/2 t. dried sage
• 1/4 t. seasoned salt
• 2 T olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix seasonings together and coat tri-tip roast on all sides with the mixture. Preheat cast iron skillet on stove top to high heat. Add couple T of olive oil. Brown roast on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove roast from skillet. Place on roasting rack and cover with aluminum foil. Place in oven that has been preheated to 375 degrees. Roast for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours or until roast reads 150 degrees with an instant read thermometer. Allow roast to rest, covered loosely with aluminum foil, for 10 to 15 minutes. Slice against the grain. Enjoy!