Carved Roast Beef Recipe

Season and Sear

Remove roast from refrigerator 45–60 minutes before cooking to come toward room temperature. Preheat oven to 275°F (135°C). Pat roast dry with paper towels. Rub olive oil over roast. Mix kosher salt, black pepper and garlic powder and rub evenly over entire roast. In a large, heavy oven-safe Dutch oven or roasting pan with rack, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Sear roast 2–3 minutes per side until well browned on all sides. Transfer roast to a rack in the pan.

Make Au Jus Base

Lower heat to medium. Add quartered onion and crushed garlic cloves to the pan and cook 2–3 minutes to brown slightly. Pour in red wine (if using) and simmer 2 minutes, scraping browned bits from the bottom. Add beef broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a simmer.

Slow Roast Overnight

Cover the Dutch oven or tent the roasting pan tightly with foil. Place in preheated oven and roast at 275°F (135°C) for 3 hours, then reduce oven to 200°F (95°C) and continue roasting overnight for an additional 6–8 hours until internal temperature reaches 125–130°F (52–54°C) for medium-rare or 135°F (57°C) for medium. (If you prefer a single slow roast of ~8–10 hours at 225–250°F, adjust timing; the original method is low-and-slow overnight.)

Rest the Roast and Strain Au Jus

Remove roast from oven, transfer to a carving board, and tent loosely with foil. Let rest 20–30 minutes. While roast rests, strain the pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan, pressing solids to extract liquid. Discard solids and return liquid to saucepan. Skim excess fat from the surface, leaving about 1 tablespoon for flavor.

Finish Au Jus

Bring strained au jus to a gentle simmer. If a slightly thicker jus is desired, whisk cornstarch with cold water to make a slurry and slowly whisk into simmering jus until it coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in cold unsalted butter to give the jus a glossy finish. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Keep warm until serving.

While roast is resting (or during last 15 minutes of roasting), heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil until melted and hot. Add sliced onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and beginning to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Push onions to the side of the skillet, add remaining tablespoon butter and add mushrooms. Cook mushrooms without moving for 2–3 minutes to develop a golden crust, then stir and cook until tender and browned, about another 4–5 minutes. Season mushrooms and onions with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Combine mushrooms and onions in the skillet and cook together 1–2 minutes to marry flavors. Keep warm until serving.

Carve the rested roast thinly against the grain into 1/8–1/4-inch slices for tender, even pieces. Arrange carved beef on a warmed serving platter and spoon some warm au jus over the meat to keep moist.

Serve mushrooms and onions alongside the carved roast. Provide horseradish sauce and warmed brown gravy on the side so guests can choose. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and pass additional au jus in a small pitcher.

Storage: Cool leftover carved beef to room temperature, then refrigerate in an airtight container with some reserved au jus poured over the top to keep meat moist. Use within 3–4 days.