Herbed Roast Beef

Refrigerate salted beef for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours before cooking (a longer time is preferable).

1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

1 shallot, minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 (4-pound) center-cut boneless top sirloin roast, fat trimmed to 1/4 inch

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon pepper

In a small bowl, combine parsley, shallot and thyme. Transfer 2 tablespoons of herb mixture to a second bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon oil and mustard until combined. Add butter to remaining herb mixture and mash with fork until combined.

Position roast fat side up. Insert knife one-third of the way up from bottom of roast along 1 long side and cut horizontally, stopping 1/2 inch before edge. Open flap. Keeping knife parallel to cutting board, cut through thicker portion of roast about 1/2 inch from bottom, keeping knife level with first cut and stopping about 1/2 inch before edge. Open this flap. If uneven, cover with plastic wrap and use meat pounder to even out. Rub inside and out with salt and pepper. Spread herb-mustard mixture over interior of beef, fold back together, and tie securely with kitchen twine at 1 1/2-inch intervals. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Set roasting rack in large roasting pan and spray with vegetable oil spray. Pat roast dry with paper towels. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown roast well on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes, then arrange, fat side up, on prepared roasting rack. Roast until beef registers 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Transfer roast to carving board, spread top with herb-butter mixture and let rest of 20 minutes. Remove twine and slice into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Serve.