Herb-Crusted Brick Roast

I’ve used this method many times with many different cuts of meat. The simplicity of it makes me go back to it time and time again. We take an inexpensive cut and dress it up to be… well, not so simple. The recipe uses the sous vide method, in which food is vacuum sealed and cooked in a water bath at a precise low temperature. That allows us to take an inexpensive cut of meat with low fat content and cook it low and slow to break it down, so you end up with a soft and delicious piece of meat for a fraction of the price. While this roast can be made in an oven as well, sous vide is suggested.

Directions

1. Preheat sous vide to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Place roast in a gallon-sized freezer Ziploc bag. Drizzle with olive oil and add a few whole sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme to the bag. Seal bag most of the way, then slowly lower it into the water bath to force the air out. Seal bag the rest of the way and cook for 12 hours.

3. When roast is done, transfer it to a sheet pan and pat dry with paper towel. Sprinkle with salt.

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Finely chop remaining rosemary and thyme, then combine with margarine or Earth Balance, salt, and pepper.

6. Wearing gloves, rub herb mixture all over the roast until completely covered.

7. Set the roast in a shallow roasting pan along with vine tomatoes. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a nice crust has formed. Transfer roast to a cutting board and let it rest for 20 minutes.

8. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then return the baking sheet with the tomatoes to the oven to cook for another 10 minutes, or until soft.

9. Slice roast thinly. Serve with roasted tomatoes.

Tips: Serving Suggestions: Steamed broccolini, salsa verde, and lemon; Roasted radishes with thyme; Roasted cabbage and cabbage cream; Butternut squash cream

Variations: Oven Method: Season roast with salt, then sear in a large skillet until a nice crust has formed. Coat with Earth Balance-herb mixture, then roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until an internal thermometer reads 130 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit, about 40 minutes. Let rest for 20 minutes before slicing.